NCSCE and KQED are partnering on a new pilot project, Do Now U. Do Now U engages undergraduate students in online discussions about current scientific issues through the innovative use of social media.
The first Do Now U post, How Would You Balance Wildlife Conservation with Economic Growth?, created by George Mason University students, Joy Vander Clute, Claire Haftt, Andrea Freddy, and Sarmad Butt in professor Tom Wood’s course, is now available on the KQED Education website.
In their post, Jon, Claire, Andrea, and Sarmad use science media and resources to lay out the environmental conservation arguments for why the greater sage grouse, an “iconic species of the American West,” should not have been removed from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service endangered species list, and the economic counter-points for why the bird species no longer needed the protective listing.
Other students and the general public were then invited to join the conversation by commenting on the post, and sharing their informed thoughts and opinions on social media platforms such as Twitter using the hashtag #DoNowUGrouse.
Do you need a warm up exercise or extra credit assignment for your course? Do you want to expand your class discussion beyond the walls of your lecture hall? Incorporate #DoNowUGrouse in your lesson plan.