Stable carbon Isotope evidence for neolithic and bronze age crop water management in the eastern mediterranean and southwest asia

In a large study on early crop water management, stable carbon isotope discrimination was determined for 275 charred grain samples from nine archaeological sites, dating primarily to the Neolithic and Bronze Age, from the Eastern Mediterranean and Western Asia. This has revealed that wheat (Triticum spp.) was regularly grown in wetter conditions than barley (Hordeum sp.), indicating systematic preferential treatment of wheat that may reflect a cultural preference for wheat over barley. Isotopic analysis of pulse crops (Lens culinaris, Pisum sativum and Vicia ervilia) indicates cultivation in highly varied water conditions at some sites, possibly as a result of opportunistic watering practices. The results have also provided evidence for local land-use and changing agricultural practices

Asymmetric response of forest and grassy biomes to climate variability across the African Humid Period : influenced by anthropogenic disturbance?

A comprehensive understanding of the relationship between land cover, climate change and disturbance dynamics is needed to inform scenarios of vegetation change on the African continent. Although significant advances have been made, large uncertainties exist in projections of future biodiversity and ecosystem change for the world's largest tropical landmass. To better illustrate the effects of climate–disturbance–ecosystem interactions on continental‐scale vegetation change, we apply a novel statistical multivariate envelope approach to subfossil pollen data and climate model outputs (TraCE‐21ka). We target paleoenvironmental records across continental Africa, from the African Humid Period (AHP: ca 14 700–5500 yr BP) – an interval of spatially and temporally variable hydroclimatic conditions – until recent times, to improve our understanding of overarching vegetation trends and to compare changes between forest and grassy biomes (savanna and grassland). Our results suggest that although climate variability was the dominant driver of change, forest and grassy biomes responded asymmetrically: 1) the climatic envelope of grassy biomes expanded, or persisted in increasingly diverse climatic conditions, during the second half of the AHP whilst that of forest did not; 2) forest retreat occurred much more slowly during the mid to late Holocene compared to the early AHP forest expansion; and 3) as forest and grassy biomes diverged during the second half of the AHP, their ecological relationship (envelope overlap) fundamentally changed. Based on these asymmetries and associated changes in human land use, we propose and discuss three hypotheses about the influence of anthropogenic disturbance on continental‐scale vegetation change

Expanding a Math and Science Library-Based Program to Reach Preschool Teachers and Children

Math and Science Story Time (MASST) program is a library-based informal education program that aims to increase access to high-quality early science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) books, activities, and content for young children. We developed and piloted resources to expand MASST beyond a family engagement program by inviting preschools to participate in the program. The purpose was to connect the local library with preschool classrooms, provide resources for educators, and bridge the gap between formal and informal learning environments. The present study examines the effects of participation in MASST on preschool educators and children

Designing a STEM Professional Development Program for Preschool Teachers, with Supports for DLLs

SciMath-DLL is a preschool professional development (PD) model including STEM instructional offerings that aims to improve the quality of instruction for all children, including dual language learners (DLLs). The purpose of the PD model is to create practical and authentic STEM and DLL supports for early childhood educators, who are generally not well prepared to support STEM learning or to teach DLLs. The present study examines the iterative development process of our professional development model, in particular, what we learned during implementation, and changes we made to address what we learned across our studies

Preliminary Effects of a Preschool Stem Professional Development Model on Teachers’ Attitudes and Beliefs

Preschool science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) is important for later learning for all children, including dual language learners (DLLs). However the preschool workforce is generally not well prepared to teach STEM or to work with DLLs, and attitudes and beliefs may play a role in teachers feeling challenged to provide high quality STEM teaching. The objectives of the SciMath-DLL professional development (PD) model are to improve attitudes and change beliefs of educators, increase preschool teachers’ knowledge, and improve classroom instruction around STEM and supports for dual language learners (DLLs). This paper provides preliminary results from a randomized trial of participation in the SciMath-DLL PD on preschool educators’ attitudes and beliefs