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Electronic TEG

Published in TEG news issue 24, Summer 1998, by the British Ecological Society.
Category: Book Reviews.

Animal Behaviour

Review by Susan Barker

Micheal Dockery and Michael Reiss (1997), Animal Behaviour - Practical Work and Data Response Exercises at GCSE, Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour

ISBN 0-12-218859-4

This book follows on from the most successful book by the same authors on animal behaviour for sixth-form students. Those who are familiar with the sixth-form book will be pleased to see this GCSE version published. The format is identical to the sixth-form book and thus incorporates all the features, making it an attractive, easy to use resource book with some beautiful line drawings and clear black and white photographs. A comprehensive contents page allows you to dip in and out of the book, although it makes an interesting 'read' from cover to cover. I really must commend the two 'Michaels' on their publication - it really brings some innovating and fresh ideas to GCSE science. In fact they are more than ideas; they are tried and tested practicals with comprehensive information on resources needed, methodologies to analyse and interpret the results with questions to promote an understanding of the significance.

It also give references so that you or your really keen pupils can follow up the work. The book also provides data response exercises (with answers!), thus providing potential for extension activities, classroom exercises or homework.

The practicals include orientation of brine shrimps to light, flexibility of choice of a cat's sleeping site, egg-laying site, choice in female seed beetles, development of behaviour (e.g. removing a sweater). Thus the range is enormous, some requires organisms to be bred in the laboratory, e.g. brine shrimps and seed beetles but the ASAB will provide the basic starter materials and they really are easy to maintain. However many of the practicals use humans and need very few resources (except for the humans!)

The book is great value for money, it's really stimulating and encourages sensitivity to living organisms. I personally believe that working with organisms in a sensitive way is a very effective way of encouraging an appreciation for life

As well as the specific behavourial practicals and data response exercises, the book also gives very sound advice and conduct of investigations/ projects in the context of behaviour. Many of these guidelines are appropriate for science investigations per se and thus it encourages good science.

Well, needless to say, I really like this book and I feel it is a most worthwhile purchase for anyone teaching GCSE science - it really is a breath of fresh air - buy it!

As the subject introduces new concepts and terms, it would have really been useful to have a glossary, but despite that, the terms are actually well, explained in the text.

For further information

Michael Dockery
Department of Biological Sciences,
John Dalton Building
Manchester Metropolitan University,
Chester Street,
MANCHESTER,
M1 5GD

Telephone: 0161 247-1149
FAX: 0161 247-6365

E-mail: m.dockery@mmu.ac.uk

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