Plants and insects share a long evolutionary history characterized by relationships that affect individual, population, and community dynamics. Plant-herbivore interactions are a prominent feature of this evolutionary history; it is by plant-herbivore interactions that energy is transferred from primary producers to the rest of the food web. Not only are plant-herbivore food webs important to community dynamics, but these webs also constitute a significant portion of the world's biodiversity. In this article, the author presents a study that will set the stage for further explorations into the ecology and evolution of facilitation, mutualisms, and other interspecific interactions by encouraging students to look at the fitness effects associated with such relationships. The proposed activity will also prepare students for future science courses by exposing them to basic techniques in field, laboratory, and literature-based research. (Contains 1 table and 2 figures.)