JoinMom Always Liked You Best: Examining the Hypothesis of Parental Favoritism
In this interrupted case study, based on a journal article on the parenting behavior of American coots, students are given information and data from which they must develop hypotheses and design experiments, mimicking the way that scientists conduct research. The case is appropriate for courses in biology, especially those focusing on evolution and ecology, but can also be used to great effect in nonscience majors’ courses as an example of the scientific method.