EPIC Bioscience: An Online Learning Environment for Ecological Investigations Aligned With Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) Using Museum Digitized Collections

EPIC Bioscience is an online learning environment designed to engage students in authentic STEM research aligned to Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), using digitized specimens and sedimentary archives (microscopic fossil remains) from the Natural History Museum of Utah for student data collection activities. Students gather and analyze data to address scientific questions related to environmental change and biodiversity. Current investigations engage middle school learners in the study of interactions among organisms and energy dynamics within ecosystems. In this research, we developed a simplified laboratory method to obtain a series of digital fungal spores from mesic and xeric environments for student analysis. Using this methodology, we extract microscopic specimens of fungal (Fungi: Basidiomycota) remains from museum-archived sediment samples. The resulting digitized specimens can be counted and classified into morphological categories by students, helping them develop a hands-on understanding of how fungal species richness and diversity is linked to top-down, climate controls, including moisture availability in contrasting wet (mesic) and dry (xeric) environments. Students then apply their findings to a third type of environment, the urban setting, to explore how human activities (e.g., lawn watering and xeriscaping) influence local fungal diversity. Across investigation activities, students learn to connect fungal diversity to rates of energy cycling across environments with varied abiotic profiles. Three main insights emerged during the investigation design process. First, aligning scientific methods and phenomena (i.e. fungal diversity) with NGSS via effective student activities required a unique and interdisciplinary process with dialogue among museum scientists, curriculum developers and educators, and learning scientists.  Second, exploring NHMU’s microscopic fungal collections through the lens of NGSS (MS-LS2-3) resulted in the prototyping and development of a simple protocol to recover fungal remains from sedimentary archives stored in museum collections. Lastly, collections-based research using digitized specimens is the basis for highly-engaging, authentic science investigation in classrooms.