A Study of Disease on the Island of St Helena

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 Amy Webster  is a second year PhD student at the University of Birmingham studying tree disease on the island St Helena. Her work focuses on the key stone black cabbage trees, as well as many other endemic tree and plant species found that are located in the cloud forest. By monitoring ongoing disease development and using molecular techniques to characterise the plant pathogen(s) identified in the field, management decisions made by the islanders can be helped in the hope of preserving the unique forest.

 

Key Stage

 4 and 5

Learning Objectives 
  • Identify why endemic trees are important
  • Describe the symptoms of plant pathogens
  • Explain how tree disease can be monitored 

Key Words 
Disease Endemic

Species

 Pathogen Symptom

 

How can you use Amy's mini lecture in your classroom? 

1. Hook Activity: use this mini lecture as a 'hook' for your lessons to grab pupils attention, generate interest around the topic and highlight the wider context for the topic. 

2. Key Word Generator: encourage your pupils to write down as many keywords from the mini lecture as they can. Use this list to: create a glossary, play bingo, have a game of Pictionary etc.

3. Quiz Maker: encourage your pupils to create a set of quiz cards/ true or false questions and/ or exam style questions based on the clip. Ask them to try out each others quizzes and reflect on what they have learnt. 

4. Note-Taker: for students moving into Y12 and Y13, use the mini lecture to try out different note-taking techniques and support the transition to KS5 and Higher Education. 

5. Seminar Showcase: encourage your pupils to set up their own lunch club and use the mini-lectures to discuss underlying research themes, such as climate change, biodiversity, plants and trees. 

If you think of any other ways to use this mini lecture in your classroom, we would love to know! Share @BIFoRUoB #MiniLecture

Discover other PhD Researchers at BIFoR who are marking International Day of Women and Girls in Science