Gallatin R-5 Advanced Biology class formerly offered to seniors has been changed.
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Gallatin R-5 Advanced Biology class formerly offered to seniors has been changed. Mr. Steigerwalt has developed four separate semester classes for juniors and seniors. First semester this year is Environmental Science and second semester will be Anatomy and Physiology. Next year 2005-2006 first semester will be Science Applications and second semester will be Forensic Science. In the 2006-2007 school year the classes will begin the two year cycle over again.
Associated with the environmental class the students will compete at a district Envirothon for northwest Missouri on Nov 3 at St. Joseph Conservation center. Gallatin will have four separate teams compete at the competition. Team A: Adam Strein, Aaron Everly, Emily Gay, Tim McCann, and Cassie Carder. Team B: Chris Barnes, Kyle Hefly, Brittney Hixson, Caleb Kirkendoll, and Rachel Perry. Team C: Klint Kloepping, Sean Wood, Jake Gardner, Allie Michener, and Becky Macy. Team D: Nathan Curtis, Carrie Harris, Stefanie Dowell, Stephanie Willet, Sara Morrow and Tyler Street as alternate. Each five-member team will work as a group to answer different areas of the environment.
In class the students have been learning about Forestry, Aquatics, Wildlife, and Soils. They also will work on a current environmental problem. The problem category this year deals with managing cultural landscapes. The actual problem relates to developing a list of 12 committee members to serve on a Special Commission of the governor to determine the management of the Lewis and Clark trail and associated areas as they passed through the state of Missouri.
To get ready and have a practical application in environmental sciences Mr Steigerwalt has been giving instructions on Forestry and Aquatics. Hopefully before Nov 3 they will cover Wildlife and Soils. They will also have to prepare an oral presentation on their solution to the conservation issue. To test their skills the students spent the day near the Grand River at Jameson on Sept. 17.
For 2 ½ hours in the morning the students evaluated the forest area in the woods near the Grand River. They evaluated the health of the forest using the Forest Keepers evaluation forms and techniques. They also did a cruise tally of all trees in a 1/10th acre plot, including determining a site index. Students use equipment like Biltmore sticks, clinometers, compass, tree borers etc to collect and the analyzes that data.
The students did a survey of the aquatic habitat of the Grand River using Stream Team protocols. Including water chemistry tests, macroinvertebrate organisms, flow rate and Visual Survey. After all these areas are covered and the competition is done the students will work on more traditional aspects of Environmental Science. A practical application is very important to see the whole picture of the environment.