Path of the Predators: A Journey Through the Living Arachnids. Illustrations by Pawl Tisdale
WHAT IS AN ARTHROPOD?
CREATE A CHELICERATE
ASSEMBLE AN ARACHNID
TISSUE PAPER FLOWER
MICROSCOPE MADNESS
Eight-Legged Encounters Impact
Change in interest in learning about scientific discoveries among adult respondents (n = 63).
Youth’s interest in science activities (n = 42).  Respondents were 50% female, 50% male and ranged in age from 4 – 14 with a mean of 7.7

Hebets, Eileen A

English

UNL | Libraries

University of Nebraska - Lincoln
DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln
SciComm 2016 - Lincoln, Nebraska, September
23-24, 2016 SciComm - Effective Science Communication
9-24-2016
Eight-Legged Encounters: Using Organismal
Biology to Bring Science Education to Families &
Communities
Eileen A. Hebets
University of Nebraska-Lincoln, ehebets2@unl.edu
Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/scicomm2016
Part of the Life Sciences Commons, Medicine and Health Sciences Commons, Other
Communication Commons, and the Science and Technology Studies Commons
This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the SciComm - Effective Science Communication at DigitalCommons@University of
Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in SciComm 2016 - Lincoln, Nebraska, September 23-24, 2016 by an authorized administrator of
DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln.
Hebets, Eileen A., "Eight-Legged Encounters: Using Organismal Biology to Bring Science Education to Families & Communities"
(2016). SciComm 2016 - Lincoln, Nebraska, September 23-24, 2016. 16.
http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/scicomm2016/16
Eight-Legged Encounters: Using
Organismal Biology to Bring Science 
Education to
Families & Communities
Eileen A. Hebets
University of Nebraska
ARACHNID???



AMBLYPYGIDS

NINE
audience volunteers
(Fowler-Finn & Hebets, 2006)
How are they 
communicating?

















WHAT IS AN ARTHROPOD?
CREATE A CHELICERATE
ASSEMBLE AN ARACHNID
Order Solifugae
Order 
ThelyphonidaOrder Palpigradi
Order Scorpiones Order Opiliones
Order Ricinulei
Order 
Schizomida
Order 
Amblypygi
Order 
Pseudoscorpiones
Order Acari
Order Araneae
TISSUE PAPER FLOWER
MICROSCOPE MADNESS
Eight-Legged Encounters Impact
Venue # Participants Date
Morrill Hall, Sunday with a Scientist 847 2013
Butterfly Pavilion, CO ~550 2013
Morrill Hall, Sunday with a Scientist 816 2014
Denver Museum of Nature and Science, 
CO
~3,400 2014
USA Science and Engineering Festival, 
Washington DC
~30,000 2016
>35,600 3 years
Much more
interested, 29%
A little more
interested, 38%
The same, 30%
A little less
interested, 2%
Much less
interested, 2%
Figure 2. Change in interest in learning about scientific 
discoveries among adult respondents (n = 63).  
98
88
73
67
0 20 40 60 80 100
Do you want to learn more
about science?
Do you want to learn more
about spiders?
Do you want to do your
own research at home?
When you grow up, do you
want a job in science?
Figure 3. Youth’s interest in science activities (n = 42).  
Respondents were 50% female, 50% male and ranged in 
age from 4 – 14 with a mean of 7.7.




THANK YOU
Volunteers
Hebets Lab
UNL Biology Club
SBS Graduate Students
Arachnology Students
Prairie Hill Learning Center
Denver University Biology Club
CU Boulder Grad Students
UNL Faculty (Jeff Stevens, Rick 
Bevins, Alex Basolo, etc.)
Collaborators
CLCs (Kathie Phillips)
NET (Melanie Eirich)
Morrill Hall (Kathy French, 
Judy Diamond)
Mindy Anderson-Knott
Butterfly Pavilion
Denver Museum of Nature 
& Science (Paula Cushing)
Artist: Pawl Tisdale
Funding
NSF
UNL ORED
UNL CAS
UNL SBS
Cody & Jessie Storz



Eight-Legged Encounters: Using Organismal Biology to Bring Science Education to Families & Communities

DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska

University of Nebraska - LincolnDigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - LincolnSciComm 2016 - Lincoln, Nebraska, September23-24, 2016 SciComm - Effective Science Communication9-24-2016Eight-Legged Encounters: Using OrganismalBiology to Bring Science Education to Families &CommunitiesEileen A. HebetsUniversity of Nebraska-Lincoln, ehebets2@unl.eduFollow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/scicomm2016Part of the Life Sciences Commons, Medicine and Health Sciences Commons, OtherCommunication Commons, and the Science and Technology Studies CommonsThis Article is brought to you for free and open access by the SciComm - Effective Science Communication at DigitalCommons@University ofNebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in SciComm 2016 - Lincoln, Nebraska, September 23-24, 2016 by an authorized administrator ofDigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln.Hebets, Eileen A., "Eight-Legged Encounters: Using Organismal Biology to Bring Science Education to Families & Communities"(2016). SciComm 2016 - Lincoln, Nebraska, September 23-24, 2016. 16.http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/scicomm2016/16Eight-Legged Encounters: UsingOrganismal Biology to Bring Science Education toFamilies & CommunitiesEileen A. HebetsUniversity of NebraskaARACHNID???AMBLYPYGIDSNINEaudience volunteers(Fowler-Finn & Hebets, 2006)How are they communicating?WHAT IS AN ARTHROPOD?CREATE A CHELICERATEASSEMBLE AN ARACHNIDOrder SolifugaeOrder ThelyphonidaOrder PalpigradiOrder Scorpiones Order OpilionesOrder RicinuleiOrder SchizomidaOrder AmblypygiOrder PseudoscorpionesOrder AcariOrder AraneaeTISSUE PAPER FLOWERMICROSCOPE MADNESSEight-Legged Encounters ImpactVenue # Participants DateMorrill Hall, Sunday with a Scientist 847 2013Butterfly Pavilion, CO ~550 2013Morrill Hall, Sunday with a Scientist 816 2014Denver Museum of Nature and Science, CO~3,400 2014USA Science and Engineering Festival, Washington DC~30,000 2016>35,600 3 yearsMuch moreinterested, 29%A little moreinterested, 38%The same, 30%A little lessinterested, 2%Much lessinterested, 2%Figure 2. Change in interest in learning about scientific discoveries among adult respondents (n = 63).  988873670 20 40 60 80 100Do you want to learn moreabout science?Do you want to learn moreabout spiders?Do you want to do yourown research at home?When you grow up, do youwant a job in science?Figure 3. Youth’s interest in science activities (n = 42).  Respondents were 50% female, 50% male and ranged in age from 4 – 14 with a mean of 7.7.THANK YOUVolunteersHebets LabUNL Biology ClubSBS Graduate StudentsArachnology StudentsPrairie Hill Learning CenterDenver University Biology ClubCU Boulder Grad StudentsUNL Faculty (Jeff Stevens, Rick Bevins, Alex Basolo, etc.)CollaboratorsCLCs (Kathie Phillips)NET (Melanie Eirich)Morrill Hall (Kathy French, Judy Diamond)Mindy Anderson-KnottButterfly PavilionDenver Museum of Nature & Science (Paula Cushing)Artist: Pawl TisdaleFundingNSFUNL OREDUNL CASUNL SBSCody & Jessie Storz

https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1015&context=scicomm2016

Eight-Legged Encounters: Using Organismal Biology to Bring Science Education to Families & Communities

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