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Spring 2012 Catalog Description: BIOL 353. Ecology and Evolution (3:2:0). Prerequisites: BIOL 120 and BIOL 121. This is a writing intensive course intended to convey a basic understanding of how life evolves, how organisms interact with their environments, and how evolutionary and ecological principles can be applied to a wide range of questions. Emphasis will be placed on the writing process.
Expanded Course Description: This course is intended for upper-level students interested in bridging connections between ecology and evolution. In addition to understanding the mechanisms that drive evolutionary change, factors affecting population growth, and evolutionary adaptations that result from ecological interactions, students will learn how to use mathematical models and graphs to better understand ecological and evolutionary processes. Students will also learn how to synthesize scientific information into their own ideas and present those ideas in a well-written and coherent argument.
Student Learning Outcomes: a. Explain the mechanisms of evolution, including mutation, migration, genetic drift, nonrandom mating, and natural selection. b. Describe density-independent, density-dependent, and age-structured models of population growth. c. Describe intraspecific and interspecific interactions, and how they influence ecological processes and evolutionary adaptations. II. Skill Outcomes a. Apply mathematical models to answer questions regarding evolutionary mechanisms and ecological processes. b. Critically analyze graphs to better understand evolutionary mechanisms and ecological processes. c. Use online databases to find peer-reviewed journal articles that pertain to ecological and evolutionary topics. III. Writing Outcomes a. Create a properly formatted bibliography for peer-reviewed articles. b. Critically interpret previous research to create a synthesis paper that integrates current understanding into your own assessment. c. Develop revision abilities, especially as they pertain to clarity, completeness, conciseness, and content.
Required Texts: Gotelli, N.J. 2008. A primer of ecology. Sineaur. Pechenik, J.A. 2007. A short guide to writing about biology. 6th edition. Pearson Education, Inc.
Attendance: Attendance in this course is required and will be taken on a daily basis. Although attendance does not directly factor into course grades, there is strong evidence that suggests class attendance is positively correlated with overall performance in the course.
Grade Determination: The final course grade will be calculated on the basis of peer reviews (10%), written assignments (30%), and lecture exams (60%). It is important to note that students will not receive credit for this course without passing the written component. That is, a student may not receive less than 60 on any writing assignment and still pass this class, no matter how high the lecture exam grades are. No grades will be dropped, and no curves will be given. Course grades will be assigned as follows: A = 90 – 100; B = 80 – 89; C = 70 – 79; D = 60 – 69; F = 0 – 59.
Workload: I. Written Assignments (30%) – Students will be required to complete three written assignments over the course of the semester. These assignments are designed to help students evaluate current research, further develop their critical thinking ability, and improve writing skills. a. Assignment 1 (5%) – Students will be required to find 10 peer-reviewed journal articles over a topic of their choosing and create a properly formatted bibliography. b. Assignment 2 (10%) – Students will be required to write a clear and concise summary for each of their 10 articles. c. Assignment 3 (15%) – Students will be required to write a review paper that summarizes the current state of knowledge in regards to their particular topic. II. Peer Reviews (10%) – Students will be responsible for providing peer reviews for two review papers. III. Examinations (60%) –There will be four lecture examinations throughout the semester. Each exam will consist of a variety of question formats, including multiple-choice, graphical analysis, applied problems, short answer, and essay. Exams will include information from both the lectures and the text, although emphasis will be placed on lecture material. The final exam will mostly cover material presented after the third test, but it will also require a synthesis of information gathered throughout the semester.
Academic Honesty: Cheating, plagiarism (submitting another person’s materials or ideas as one’s own), or doing work for another person who will receive academic credit are all-impermissible. This includes the use of unauthorized books, notebooks, or other sources in order to secure of give help during an examination, the unauthorized copying of examinations, assignments, reports, or term papers, or the presentation of unacknowledged material as if it were the student’s own work. Disciplinary action may be taken beyond the academic discipline administered by the faculty member who teaches the course in which the cheating took place.
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This page was last updated on
01/04/12
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