« Mettez-vous dans la peau d’une plante en ville ! », activity for children from 7-13 years old, June 2016, Mysteres de l’UNIL, University of Lausanne
The children are introduced with the different seed dispersal strategies and their potential costs and benefits. In a game replaying natural selection, the children explore different strategies of seed dispersal in an urban or in a non-urban environment. By marking their points with their different seed strategies in the two environment, they themselves construct a graphic that they are able to interpret: urban environments favour short distance dispersal strategies because long-distance dispersal is too risky when the probability of landing on soil is too low.
This activity was inspired by the results of Cheptou et al. (2011) Rapid evolution of seed dispersal in an urban environment in the weed Crepis sancta. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA 105, 3796-3799.
« Sexualité: tout ce que nous apprennent les plantes! », laboratory visit for children from 7-13 years old, June 2016, Mysteres de l’UNIL, University of Lausanne
We welcomed the children in the greenhouses with a quizz about general knowledge on plants. After learning how to recognize pistil and stamen, they discover through a game and specimen observation that plants display several different sexual systems: hermaphroditism, dioecy, monoecy … A last game make the children think about how male plants can disperse their pollen to sire female’s flowers and why the diversity of flower shapes is associated with several pollination modes and pollinators.
Selected for a interview promoting the University Open Days:
Co-organizer: Marie Voillemot, Thomas Martignier, Nicolas Ruch and Ruben Torrices
« Comment les espèces répondent-elles aux changements climatiques? », activity for children from 7-13 years old, May 2015, Mysteres de l’UNIL, University of Lausanne
Using a model and some results of experiments provided as clues, the children can explore the effect of an increase in temperature earlier during the year on the phenology of oaks and its repercussion on the butterfly and tit birds phenology.
Conferences and vulgarization articles
October 2015: Jeanne Tonnabel & Philippe Roumagnac « Plante, feu et virus: secrets du fynbos sud africain. » Conference invitée, Domaine du Rayol, France.
August 2015: Participation to a « Scientific speed-dating » at the ESEB Congress, Lausanne.
Tonnabel, J., (2009) Makis des villages, entre adaptation et apprivoisement, Univers Mahorais, 4 pages.
Tonnabel, J., (2007) Une étude sur le régime alimentaire du lémurien, Univers Mahorais, 1 page.
costs and benefits. In a game replaying natural selection, the children explore different strategies of seed dispersal in an urban or in a non-urban environment. By marking their points with their different seed strategies in the two environment, they themselves construct a graphic that they are able to interpret: urban environments favour short distance dispersal strategies because long-distance dispersal is too risky when the probability of landing on soil is too low.
Jeanne Tonnabel 