UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- The three Rs and the ABCs long have been staples of the public school curriculum. Now, Pennsylvania students are required to learn their IPM. For teachers, this means switching roles and going back to school.

In response to the new academic standards that call for integrated pest management, or IPM, to be taught as part of units on the environment and ecology, the Pennsylvania Integrated Pest Management Program is offering a course to help teachers incorporate IPM into their curriculum.

IPM aims to control pests -- such as insects, diseases, weeds and animals -- by combining physical, biological and chemical tactics that are safe and environmentally compatible.

"IPM for Teachers: Meeting New Academic Standards for Environment and Ecology," will be held June 24-27 at Penn State's University Park Campus. "The course will provide the basis for teaching IPM concepts in the classroom, as well as indoor and outdoor activities to demonstrate real-world pest management decision-making skills," says Lyn Garling, education specialist at Penn State. "Participants will leave with a curriculum notebook, field kit and handouts that will provide them an understanding of the concepts involved in IPM."

The class will cover basics about pest identification and biology, information on IPM tactics and concepts, use of IPM in specific environments and IPM resources on the Web. The course will be a mix of hands-on activities, observation, collection, identification, experiments, learning exercises, demonstrations and discussion. Field trips to forest, marsh, and farm sites will be scheduled as weather permits.

"IPM integrates information about pest identity, biology and population growth with knowledge of multiple tactics that can be used to prevent or manage pest problems if necessary," says Garling. "IPM activities are well suited for hands-on learning that cuts across the curriculum, including such classes as biology, chemistry, ecology, math and statistics." For more information on the course content, contact Lyn Garling by e-mail at ljg5@psu.edu or by phone at 814-863-8884, or visit the Web at http://paipm.cas.psu.edu/schools/ipmcourse.html#desc. To register, contact the office of Conferences and Short Courses at 814-865-8301.

The Pennsylvania IPM Program is a collaboration between Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences and the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture aimed at promoting integrated pest management in both agricultural and nonagricultural situations. For more information, call 814-865-2839, or visit the program's Website at http://paipm.cas.psu.edu.

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Contact:

Cheryl Anthony cka106@psu.edu 814-865-3636 814-863-9877 fax

Kristie Auman-Bauer 814-865-2839 kma147@psu.edu #170