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Richard McCloskey, Ph.D.

Professor Emeritus, Department of Biological Sciences

Year arrived at BSU: 1973
Mailing Address:
Department of Biology
Boise State University
Boise, ID 83725-1515

E-Mail Address: rmcclos@boisestate.edu

ACADEMIC DEGREES

  • B.S., Franklin College, 1965, Biology, English, Education
  • M.S., Iowa State University, 1968, Animal Ecology, Plant Ecology
  • Ph.D., Iowa State University, 1975, Behavioral Ecology, Sociology

TEACHING

ZOOL 111 Human Anatomy and Physiology
ZOOL 112 Human Anatomy and Physiology
ZOOL 497/597 Physiological Effects of Psychoactive Drugs
BIOL 494/594 Project Wild
BIOL 494/594 Project Learning Tree
BIOL 494/594;TE 494/599 Sawtooth Environmental Issues: Successfully Resolving
Envir. Issues Using Education
BIOL 494/594; TE 494/599 Environmental Education, Outdoor Interpretation and

Teaching Strategies

BIOL 494/594;TE 494/599 Heartland Peaks: Environmental Education for Everyone
BIOL 594/TE-599 Children’s Literature Used to Teach About the Environment
BIOL 594/TE-599 Environmental Education Along the Greenbelt
IS 591 Drug/Alcohol Physiology
BIOL 594/TE-599 HIV/AIDS Prevention Education
BIOL 597/TE-597 Substance Abuse: Biological Effects
Facilitator Skills Training
Interagency Wetlands Banking Workshops – Washington State
Department of Transportation, Olympia, WA
Comprehensive Advanced Wetlands Compensation Workshop – Pack Forest, WA

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Post-Workshop Evaluation for Assessment of Environmental Education Instructional Materials: A longitudinal Study
Facilitator Stress Project: Resident environmental education (EE) camps in the northwest United States have been used to train EE trainers since the 1960s. A camp goal is to alter the belief that only scientists can provide valuable outdoor science experiences. Peer teaching is used to attain this goal. This study assesses changes in the levels of anxiety, depression, and hostility, and methods to reduce these levels, in teachers and agency personnel asked to develop and conduct outdoor activities.

Wetland Mitigation: Wetland evaluation based on current structure and function. The development of wetlands banking agreements.

Using Children’s Literature to Teach About the Environment: A project to evaluate the effectiveness of using children’s literature to teach ecology. This is an alternative approach to environmental education in light of more contemporary definitions of both reading and science is illustrated in this project. The goals of the “whole language” approach and the scientific method are comparable. The strategies employed in “learning to read” and “learning science” are very similar, e.g., observing, comparing, measuring, using time/space relationships, interpreting, communicating, predicting outcomes, making judgments, and evaluation. Children’s literature is often a major strength and interest of elementary teachers; they feel comfortable dealing with children’s books and are use to reading to groups but are less comfortable with science. This project combines hands-on science with the language arts objectives in listening skills, literature and writing and demonstrates how science, language arts and reading reinforce each other and teach the same strategies of reasoning and relationships.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

McCloskey, R. J. and R. Tiedemann. 1995. Using Environmental Education Teaching Strategies To Negotiate An Interagency Wetland Banking Agreement. Proceedings of the 21st Annual Conference of The North American Assoc. for Envir. Educ. 435-438 pp.

McCloskey, R. J., S. Wright and J. Seeger. 1995. Hands-on activities and children’s literature used to increase understanding of riparian ecology – In Gaining new insights – Building on experience. Proceedings of the 24th Annual Conference of The North American Assoc. for Envir. Educ. 12 pp. (In press)

McCloskey, R. J., S. Wright and J. Seeger. 1995. Urban Riparian Zones Used to Increase Environmental Awareness. Proceedings of the 23rd Annual Conference of The North American Assoc. for Envir. Educ. 15 pp. (In press)

McCloskey, R. J. (In press). ISEEE becomes official NAAEE affiliate. Earth Tracks.

McCloskey, R. J. (In press). A summary of affiliate activities at the 25th annual NAAEE Conference. Clearing: Northwest Journal of Environmental Education.

McCloskey, R. J. 1995. Using Boise River Ecology to Promote Urban Awareness. EPA Region 10 Environmental Education Update 1(2):6-7.

McCloskey, R.J. and R. Tiedemann. 1994. Development of Mitigation Banks. In Symposium on Partnerships and Opportunities in Wetland Restoration. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC.

EDUCATIONAL PUBLICATIONS

McCloskey, R. J., S. Wright and J. Seeger. 1994. Environmental education along the greenbelt: A parent/teacher training manual and activity guide. Boise State University. 97pp. (Presently negotiating with Fish and Game to publish and distribute).

McCloskey, R.J. and Robert Tiedemann. 1994. Wetland Evaluation: The workshop process. Washington State Department of Transportation. 28 pp.

McCloskey, R.J. 1993. A lesson for investigating fire behavior and fire’s influence on the environment. USDA- Forest Service, Region IV, Ogden, UT. 18pp.

Tiedemann, R. and R.J. McCloskey. 1993. Our Natural Resource Values: A Wetlands Exercise. Comprehensive Advanced Wetland Compensation Workshop. Washington State Department of Transportation. 1p.

McCloskey, R.J. 1993. Plant Relationships. In Investigating Your Environment: A national environmental education project (pp. 85 – 115). USDA – Forest Service, Washington, D.C.

Tiedemann, R. and R.J. McCloskey. 1993. Advanced Wetland Compensation Value Shield. Comprehensive Advanced Wetland Compensation Workshop. Washington State Department of Transportation. 4pp.

Tiedemann, R. and R.J. McCloskey. 1993. Wetland Building Blocks: An Exercise. Comprehensive Advanced Wetland Compensation Workshop. Washington State Department of Transportation. 1p.

McCloskey, R.J. 1992. Where do you stand on AIDS?: A forced choice activity. Idaho Department of Education. 3pp.

McCloskey, R.J. 1992. Sexual Roulette: The AIDS game. Idaho Department of Education. 1p.

McCloskey, R.J. 1991. Protection against infection. Idaho Department of Education.

McCloskey, R.J. 1991. Fire in the environment. (A 6-8 hour series of activities using the Interpretation of Data Process to investigate fire behavior and its affect on the landscape in the Intermountain west). USDA- Forest Service. 21pp.

Beck, A.L. and R.J. McCloskey. 1987. Educator’s guide to “For the Greatest Good”. USDA- Forest Service. 27pp.

Beck, A.L. and R.J. McCloskey. 1987. Forest Service User’s Guide to “For the Greatest Good”. USDA-Forest Service. 21pp.