Global problems in ecology: An alternative to starting with individuals and ending with the biosphere

When you were a student, how was your ecology class organized? Did you march from the small (individuals) and end with the big (biosphere), and not have time for the chapters at the end of the textbook (conservation! restoration! climate change!)? If this sounds familiar, but you are ready for a change, consider organizing your curriculum around global problems in ecology. In this presentation, I describe an introductory ecology course that is organized into six scenarios, each connecting major ecological concepts to explore current environmental issues. Try this problem-based approach and help students to learn ecology better!