UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Responding to proposed K-12 academic standards that call for integrated pest management (IPM) to be taught as part of units on the environment and ecology, the Pennsylvania IPM 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, profitable and environmentally compatible.

The class, "IPM for Teachers K-12: Meeting New Academic Standards," (ENT 497D) will be held June 28-30 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 with the Pennsylvania IPM Program at Penn State. "Participants will leave with IPM collection kits, a large notebook, posters, resource lists and several books and 4-H activity guides that will help them understand the concepts involved in IPM."

The class also will provide basics about insect and weed identification and biology; information on IPM tactics, including the safe use of appropriate pesticides; ideas for - activities that teach key principles; and outlines for new lesson plans based on ideas stimulated by the course.

The course will be a mix of hands-on activities, observation, collection, identification, experiments, learning exercises, demonstrations and discussion. There will be two field trips, an evening video discussion and "A Bug's Night Out" evening excursion.

"IPM combines information about pest identity, biology and population growth with the use of multiple tactics to prevent or manage pest problems if necessary," says Garling. "IPM activities are well suited for hands-on learning that cuts across the curriculum, from biology, chemistry and ecology to math and statistics."

Garling will team-teach the course with Kerry Richards of Penn State's Pesticide Education Program. For more information, contact Garling (phone 814-863-8884 or e-mail ljg5@psu.edu) or Richards (phone 814-865-2134 or e-mail kmh14@psu.edu).

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 Web site at http://paipm.cas.psu.edu.

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EDITORS: Lyn Garling can be reached at 814-863-8884.

Contacts: Kristie Auman-Bauer kma147@psu.edu 814-865-2839

Chuck Gill cdg5@psu.edu 814-863-2713 814-865-1068 fax