The American Biology Teacher,
Volume 68, No. 6, August 2006
Reviewed by: Kay Marie Pedretti
Ecology Lesson Materials
Ecology: 2005. CD-ROM. Distributed by BIOZONE International Ltd.
PO Box 13-034, Hamilton, New Zealand. $299.95. For further information visit http://www.thebiozone.com/media.php.
System Requirements
Any Windows or Macintosh computer with a CD-ROM drive capable of using one or more of the following formats: PowerPoint®, Keynote®, QuickTime® slideshow, or Adobe Acrobat® PDF.
Ecology is ideal for advanced high school or undergraduate classroom lectures. This media can be used on a digital projector, an interactive whiteboard, as overhead transparencies (you can print the files) or on a computer network.
Although the CD-ROM was intended to complement the Student Resource and Activity Manuals, Senior Biology 1 and Senior Biology 2 from BIOZONE, they can be used as a stand-alone product as well. The 550 different screens present a large array of topics to complement lectures in an ecological class.
The Ecology CD-ROM includes sections on:
* Introduction to Ecosystems
* The Ecological Niche
* Populations & Interactions
* Practical Ecology
* Communities
* Biodiversity & Conservation
* Human Impact
Each section includes a colorful, informative PowerPoint® presentation complete with notes. Illustrative photographs, diagrams, graphs, and written facts are included with each topic within an ecological section. For the instructor, the sidebar of slide notes is very informative. Each section also includes a PDF file in Adobe Acrobat®, Keynote®, and a spectacular QuickTime® slideshow.
By far, the section with the largest amount of material is the one addressing Human Impact. Eutrophication, Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD), Global Warming, Integrated Pest Management, and Bioaccumulation are just a few of the topics this broad section covers. Classes that emphasize these aspects of Ecology would be well served by using the material included in this section.
Ecology is a teacher-friendly source of classroom lecture material. Students are likely to be engaged with the colorful, informative material contained within this CD-ROM. I recommend this CD-ROM for the advanced high school and early undergraduate ecological classes, especially those emphasizing the human impact of ecology.
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