The Alien Ecosystem Project: An Integrative and Creative Assignment for Biology Classes

ABSTRACT Nonmajors biology courses are often taught as less detailed versions of the majors courses. There is often a heavy emphasis on memorizing structures and pathways. This approach can result in low engagement of more creative thinkers. In three community college courses I included a two-week capstone project in which students built the biosphere of an Earthlike alien planet. Students first created alien species to fill specific niches, documenting them through life histories and drawings. Then, working in groups, they hierarchically nested their aliens into food webs and linked ecosystems. In the final iteration of the project, they also grouped their species into evolutionary lineages based on the similarity of their drawings. Students were thus able to directly demonstrate their understanding of key concepts of biology without relying on technical jargon