Furthering Entomological Outreach and Education for High School Aged Students with Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches

Authors

Robert G. Lefevre, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Date of this Version

2019

Document Type

Thesis

Citation

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Department of Entomology Online Masters Program Final Project. Lincoln, Nebraska.

Comments

Copyright 2019 Robert G. Lefevre

Abstract

This project was designed and conducted as an entomological educational outreach program for high school students. I was given access to an environmental science class at Kaiserslautern High School (KHS) under the guidance and supervision of a licensed teacher. Environmental Science is an elective class that fulfills the course requirement at the school for a science course with a laboratory component. I was given three groups of students, and I taught four classes to each of these groups. Each class had students in their freshman, sophomore, and junior years. During these class periods, I composed a food preference experiment that involved Madagascar hissing cockroaches (MHCs). This experiment drew heavily on my own experiences during my studies (i.e., ENTO 115 at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln). This project aimed to increase entomological education at this school. Lastly, I highlighted the use of technology in the classroom to better assist the instructor.

My name is Robert Guy Lefevre, and I am currently in my 17th year of active-duty service in the United States Army. I have served as an artilleryman, a transportation coordinator, and a bandsman. I am currently serving as a guitarist in the U.S. Army Europe Band and Chorus garrisoned at Sembach, Germany, and I am currently a Staff Sergeant. I hold a Bachelor of Arts in History from California State University at San Bernardino. I was accepted into the Master of Science in Entomology program at UNL in 2015. I can attest that crossing over from the arts side to the science side of campus was a particularly arduous undertaking. In this paper, I further expand on how my experiences as a soldier and an academic greatly facilitated my connection with the students in such a short timeframe. My sponsor teacher was Ms. Nancy Hoehn. Ms. Hoehn holds a Bachelor of Science in Food Science from Purdue University and a Master of Arts in Human Relations from the University of Oklahoma. She is credentialed in Texas as a licensed physical science teacher and is currently employed by the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) as an environmental science and physics teacher. Ms. Hoehn has been recognized as a National Geographic Certified Educator, a NASA Solar System Ambassador Master Teacher, and is a Google Certified Educator (Level 1). It cannot be expressed how her experience and education aided this project, particularly her Google certification. Kaiserslautern High School is a secondary education facility that is in the Kaiserslautern military community. It is located on the United States Army Garrison Rheinland-Pfalz, Vogelweh. Vogelweh, as it is colloquially known, serves the greater Ramstein Airbase community. This area of Germany has approximately 30,000 American uniformed personnel and their families. Kaiserslautern High School is one of two DoDEA high schools. Kaiserslautern High School has a student body population of approximately 550 students. It is the newest school to be built in the DoDEA Europe area.