Feature
By Sammie Slyter
During the month of March, the sophomore biology students participate in an activity called ‘Mammal Madness.’ Kristin Delp, an honors biology teacher, shared a little bit about this event and how she applied it to her classes.
Sammie Slyter: Can you explain what Mammal Madness is?
Kristin Delp: Arizona State University’s biology and zoology students started this years ago and I discovered it, by chance, about eight or nine years ago online. It’s just meant to coincide with our basketball obsession during March Madness. They [Arizona State] have their grad students put it together and it’s a hypothetical death match — or until somebody runs away — of different organisms.
SS: How is Mammal Madness beneficial to LHS students?
KD: We don’t really get to talk about different animals and adaptations unless we’re teaching zoology. You also get some people who may not be as interested in science involved because it’s a competition and we’re relating it to sports. It can also bring light to a lot of rare species, protected species, and species that are often poached as well as our conservation efforts in the world.
SS: How does Mammal Madness correlate to what is being taught in Honors Bio?
KD: Right now in biology, we’re teaching evolution. We’re talking about how a species adapts specifically to their environment. It can show the plus or minus of different traits and different environments, which is a big component of evolution. For example, we have a polar bear as the one seed, and as long as it’s in the Arctic it’s gonna do great. However, once it is out of the Arctic it will no longer be as successful.
SS: What is the reward for winning Mammal Madness?
KD: I have the principals — as well as myself — do a bracket and if the kids do better than the principals I give them extra credit as well as bragging rights.
