Course Requirements
BIOB 491-01/80. Spring: Watershed Science Education & Practice.
Spring Semester 2025, 3 credits, Fri 12-1:50 pm plus 1 more hour TBA
This course is unlike most courses offered. It has 2 distinct portions. The first is 5-7 weeks of in-class learning on the UM campus during the allotted times. The second portion is a hands-on 5–6-week involvement in active teaching – you will be part of the Ripple crew running the 2–week–long education program in local Public Schools.
This course is a fantastic opportunity for students interested in aquatic ecology, conservation, science education, communication & outreach, and civic engagement. The format of this course is different from most other classes offered at UM. Please make sure you understand the requirements before you sign up.
Students in this course are expected to:
- You will need to commit to one day on two different weekends (i.e., a total of two full days). The first day will occur near the start of the course and is used to complete all program training before we start teaching. The second day will be later in the semester. We will try to take a field trip to Butte to learn about the history of copper mining in Montana, visit important sites, and talk with experts.
- You must have a valid driver’s license.
- You must be able to help lead 5-6 field trips. Field trips are always on a Friday.
- You must be able to teach in public school classes a minimum of 4 hours weekly (for 5 or 6 weeks of the semester). These teaching experiences will occur within the window of Mon-Thu, 8:30 am-3:30 pm, when schools are in. Specific times are set by the public schools’ teachers. They have plenty of restrictions on their daily schedule that we must accommodate. We work with our crew’s schedule the best we can. The ability to be flexible is a must.
- You are an ambassador of the University of Montana. You will be interacting with students and teachers in the public school system, as well as with your peers in this program. You must be flexible and be able to work in group settings.
- You must be reliable and responsive to all ways of communication – good email/text/phone habits. Things occasionally may change quickly depending on weather and changes in the public-school schedules, you must be able to respond in a reasonable time when such things occur.
Questions? Contact Dalit Guscio at dalit.guscio@umontana.edu