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Live, online, 50-minute, weekly class for ages 13-18
Rigorous academics with opportunities to develop reading comprehension, ecological reasoning, data interpretation, and scientific communication and leadership skills
Small classes with 3-8 students per section
Student input helps determine weekly articles for Wildlife Journal Club discussions
Course grade (optional) and final student performance report
Students typically spend 1-2 hr per week reading scientific journals and preparing notes outside of live class time.
This class is delivered using Google Classroom and Google Meet. Students must have a Google email to enroll.
$120 for each 6-week class ($20/week)
This class meets live, online on:
Mondays at 1pm CDT/CST
Upcoming Session Dates (6-week classes)
Fall 2026 Session #1: September 14-October 25, 2026: Reading Scientific Literature with Confidence Offered
Fall 2026 Session #2: October 26-December 13, 2026*: Wildlife Journal Club Offered
*No class November 23-29
Reading Scientific Literature with Confidence
This 6-week course is a perequisite for Wildlife Journal Club.
In this course, students learn how to confidently read and understand real peer-reviewed scientific papers in wildlife biology and ecology — a skill rarely taught before college. We break down the structure of research articles, summarize complex methods, interpret figures, and evaluate conclusions.
Students alternate between collaborative partner reading workshops and full-group discussion, using a structured notes system designed to build clarity, independence, and analytical skill. By the end of the course, students know how to locate research, analyze it thoughtfully, and engage in meaningful scientific dialogue.
Weekly Topics
Week 1: How to Read a Scientific Paper
Students are introduced to peer-reviewed scientific literature and learn the difference between primary and secondary sources. We explore the structure of research papers and practice strategies scientists use to read efficiently, including identifying research questions, hypotheses, and key results. Students also begin using a structured notes system and practice interpreting a scientific figure.
Week 2: Partner Reading Workshop I
Students work in pairs to begin reading a wildlife research article. Together they practice breaking down sections of the paper, translating complex methods into plain language, and identifying areas that require clarification. Each pair generates discussion questions to bring to the next class.
Week 3 Journal Article Discussion I
Students come together for a guided discussion of the article read in Week 2. The class focuses on interpreting results, clarifying methods, and evaluating the strength of the authors’ conclusions. Students also explore how the study connects to broader concepts in wildlife biology and ornithology.
Week 4: Partner Reading Workshop II
Students repeat the collaborative reading process with a new research article. Working with partners, they practice deeper analysis of figures and results while continuing to refine note-taking and interpretation skills. Pairs again develop discussion questions to guide the following week’s conversation.
Week 5: Journal Article Discussion II
In this second full-class discussion, students analyze the findings of the Week 4 article and consider the study’s broader implications. Together we evaluate the study design, discuss possible limitations, and explore new research questions raised by the work.
Week 6: Finding and Exploring Scientific Research
Students learn how scientists locate relevant research using tools such as Google Scholar and ResearchRabbit. We practice searching for wildlife and ecology studies, identifying credible sources, and tracing citation networks. Each student identifies several articles connected to their interests and shares one interesting study with the group.
Learning Goals
-Learners will be able to distinguish between primary and secondary scientific literature and explain the role of peer review in scientific research.
-Learners will be able to describe the structure of a scientific research article, including the abstract, introduction, methods, results, and discussion sections.
-Learners will be able to identify the research question, hypothesis, and key findings presented in a wildlife or ecology research study.
-Learners will be able to interpret basic scientific figures and tables commonly used in ecological research.
-Learners will be able to summarize the methods and conclusions of a scientific paper and participate in thoughtful discussion of the study’s findings.
Wildlife Journal Club
Students must complete Reading Scientific Literature with Confidence before enrolling in this 6-week course. In Wildlife Journal Club, students help choose new articles for discussion based on their interests, allowing the course to be taken multiple times as students continue to build their skills.
Journal Club is a discussion-based course for students ready to dive deeper into primary research. Each week, students read a wildlife- or ecology-focused scientific article, prepare notes and questions before class, and engage in thoughtful group discussion.
Students rotate as discussion leaders, strengthening their ability to summarize research, ask higher-level questions, and facilitate respectful, evidence-based conversation. Over time, students build fluency, confidence, and the intellectual maturity to think—and speak—like scientists.
Weekly Topics TBD: Weekly scientific journal articles focused on wildlife biology and/or ecology are chosen by the students in the class based upon their interests.
Learning Goals
-Learners will be able to summarize the research question, methods, and key findings of peer-reviewed studies in wildlife biology and ecology.
-Learners will be able to interpret scientific figures, tables, and data presented in research articles.
-Learners will be able to formulate thoughtful questions and contribute meaningfully to evidence-based discussion of scientific research.
-Learners will be able to lead a group discussion of a scientific paper by summarizing the study, guiding conversation, and evaluating the authors’ conclusions.
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