Goal: Apply the principles of the scientific method to a “Natural Experiment”

1. Goal: Apply the principles of the scientific method to a “Natural Experiment” • Today: “The Case of the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker.”

2. Issues: What is at stake? • If an “Endangered Species” is found, logging and development will end in the surrounding area until that species is well established. • If an “Endangered Species” is found, money for protecting habitat throughout Arkansas will be required to be spent on acquiring and protecting habitat in the Cache National Wildlife Refuge

3. The Ivory Billed Woodpecker

4. Part I Questions • On your white boards: What kind of evidence would convince you that Ivory Billed Woodpecker is NOT extinct? Write an “If – Then” hypothesis to describe the “experiment” Brad Murky and his team are conducting. Not on your whiteboards … how do we use a hypothesis in this situation?

5. The scientific method …

6. Part II Questions • http://www.sciencemag.org/content/vol0/issue2005/images/data/1114103/ • Video actually shot by the Cornell Team of the Ivory Billed Woodpecker and facsimile of the notebook used by “Murky” and his team. • Pros and cons of the video (whiteboard)

7. Northern Flicker

8. Questions • 2. What is Mary's position on the scientific process? • A. She wants Brad to be able to support his hypothesis • B. She claims Brad needs to reject alternate hypotheses • 3. Opinion: Do you agree with Brad that publication should occur as soon as possible so they may save the Ivory Billed Woodpeckers? • Yes • No

9. Part III Questions • Submit for Grade: Your argument, not your answer, will support your grade … • If you were a biologist working in another part of Arkansas, or a logger near the Cache National Refuge, would you be satisfied with the evidence Brad has found so far? If not, what evidence would you need to be satisfied? • Write an opinion: do you think the Ivory Billed Woodpecker is extinct? Explain your answer based on the evidence you have.