Bio 103 Syllabus, Dr. Paradise, Davidson College

GRADING: Grades will be assigned with the following scale:

                                                            A:      94.0-100%                 A-:       90.0-93.9%
            B+:     87-89.9%                   B:        83.0-86.9%                B-:       80.0-82.9%
            C+:      77-79.9%                   C:        73.0-76.9%                C-:       70.0-72.9%
            D+:      65-69.9%                   D:        60.0-64.9%                F:         < 60%

Assignments	Value	Percentage
Reviews (2 – both closed book, and worth 50 points each)	100	15
Final Exam (comprehensive, closed book)	100	15
Personal Impact Analysis	50	7
Self-Directed Learning Group Project: Global Issue
Worksheets and Weekly Reports (graded as a group)	50	7
Log or Journal (graded individually)	50	7
Summary Paper (graded individually)	50	7
Presentation (graded as a group)	50	7
Self-Directed Learning Group Project: Local Application
Worksheets and Weekly Reports (graded as a group)	50	7
Log or Journal (graded individually)	50	7
Summary Paper (graded individually)	50	7
Presentation (graded as a group)	50	7
Participation and Attendance	50	7
Total	700	100

REVIEWS AND FINAL:
The reviews and final cover material from the class and the textbook. All reviews and exams are take-home, closed book/closed notes, PLEDGED assignments. See the syllabus for the date on which I will pass out the Reviews and Final and plan your schedule accordingly. Exams will NOT be accepted late unless extreme circumstances prevent turning in the exam on time and I have been notified before the due date. Unacceptable reasons include, but are not limited to, athletics, other reviews or papers due, and weekend getaways.

The Final will be weighted in favor of material presented after the second Review but will also test your comprehensive knowledge of the entire semester's material, including material presented by other students. On exams I ask questions and pose problems that require you to go beyond the material presented. You must evaluate and apply problems and concepts. Exam scores will be available in class one week (or less) after each exam.

PERSONAL IMPACT ANALYSIS:
This is an analysis of your ecological footprint – how much impact you, as an individual, have on the environment. A handout will give detailed instructions, but briefly, you will track many of the things you do and the choices you make, and then you will analyze those choices. You will keep a log, or journal, produce tables showing your collected data, and write a short analysis. Obtaining some of this information may require you to work in teams to collect data, but your analysis must be done individually. This exercise is intended to help you relate your lifestyle choices to environmental issues. The lecture and textbook will give you background to help you perform this exercise and think about the ways we impact the environment.

ISSUE IN ENVIRONMENTAL BIOLOGY GROUP PROJECTS:
On day 1 we’ll make a list of global environmental problems. We’ll break up into groups of three students that have an interest in a similar problem. Each group will then begin an investigation of this topic. During the first half of the semester, each group will consider global issues related to the topic, and during the second half you’ll apply your expertise to consider what can be done locally to help solve the problem. A handout will be made available that will give more information on the specifics of the assignment. Because this is a biology course, for each of the two projects you will provide some background on the biological, as well as the environmental, concepts that your chosen issue or problem affects. You will critically examine the issue, using the best information available to you from your literature search and from class. Sources available to assist you will be discussed in class and with staff at the Library.

Each project will consist of several components. Each is described briefly below, and I’ll provide a more detailed explanation as the semester proceeds.

Worksheets and Weekly Reports: Each group will periodically complete worksheets to help you chart your progress and figure out what you still need to do. For instance, on the first day of class, when we form groups and determine projects, a worksheet will be filled out with: 1) what you know, 2) what you need to know, and 3) what strategies you’ll use to learn what you need to know. Each Friday, one person from each group will deliver a 2 minute progress report, which will be graded as a group.

Journal or Log: Each student will maintain a journal with reflections, ideas, progress, summaries of readings, and any other information pertinent to the project. Transcriptions of worksheets and notes of discussions with group members should also be included.

Individual Paper: A 4-6 page summary paper will be presented for both the global and the local projects. These will be written by each student independently, using your knowledge gained, your journal notes, and any other information you’ve collected. A separate handout will be provided with more instruction.

Group Oral Presentations: Each group will deliver a short presentation to the class, teaching them about the issue the group investigated, linking it to other ideas discussed in the class, and presenting the current state of the problem or issue. The group will receive one grade for the presentation.

CLASS PARTICIPATION AND ATTENDANCE:
Active participation only occurs when you are in class. I expect you to be present and on time. Unavoidable absences will require a legitimate excuse. The first absence for which there is no valid excuse will result in a 10% deduction from your Attendance point total. Each subsequent unexcused absence will result in a further 20% deduction. If you are going to be absent for a legitimate reason, you should contact me to let me know what’s up. I expect everyone to participate in group activities, class discussions, and in-class activities.

HONOR CODE AND PLEDGING: All assignments will be pledged under the Honor Code. To that end, the word “pledged” with your signature will indicate that you have followed the Honor Code and that you know of no violations by your classmates.

LECTURE SCHEDULE: The schedule below is tentative; the dates and topics may change as the class progresses. Stay at least one class period ahead in your readings.

WEEK	DATE	TOPIC	TEXT READING / NOTES
1	8/22	Welcome, Icebreaker & Brainstorming	Brown: Chapter 1
	8/24	Intro to Environmental Science	B&W: Chapter 1
	8/26	Group Activity	Focus Question Worksheet
2	8/29-8/31	Environmental Systems	B&W: Chapter 3
	9/2	Library Session & Group Activity	Meet in Library's electronic classroom, Weekly Reports
3	9/5-9/7	Ecology and Evolution	B&W: Chapter 4
	9/9	Group Activity	Weekly Reports, Group Disc.
4	9/12-9/14	Human Population Growth; the case in India	B&W: Chapter 5
	9/16	Group Activity	Weekly Reports, Group Disc. Pass out Review 1
5	9/19-9/21	Agriculture & Food; the case in India	B&W: Chapter 6 Brown: Chapters 3 & 8 Review 1 Due on 9/21
	9/23	Group Activity	Weekly Reports, Group Disc.
6	9/26-9/28	Environmental Health	Hurricanes B&W: Chapter 7
	9/30	Group Presentations
7	10/3-10/7	Group Presentations
8	10/10	NO CLASS; Fall Break
	10/12	Economics & Policy	B&W: Chapter 2
	10/14	Group Activity: Discussion of Plan A	Weekly Reports Brown: Chapter 6 Paper on Global Issue Due
9	10/17-10/19	Air, Global Climate Change	B&W: Chapter 8 Brown: Chapters 4 & 9
	10/21	Group Activity	Weekly Reports, Group Disc. Personal Impact Analysis Due
10	10/24-10/26	Energy and the Environment	B&W: Chapters 12 & 13
	10/28	Group Activity	Weekly Reports, Group Disc. Pass out Review 2
11	10/31-11/2	Cities, Forests, Land	B&W: Chapter 11 Review 1 Due on 11/2
	11/4	Group Activity	Weekly Reports, Group Disc.
12	11/7-11/9	Waste Management	B&W: Chapter 14
	11/11	Group Activity: Discussion of Plan B	Weekly Reports Brown: Chapter 11
13	11/14-11/16	Water Resources	B&W: Chapter 9 Brown: Chapters 2 & 7
	11/18	Group Activity	Weekly Reports, Group Disc.
14	11/21	Biodiversity & Conservation	B&W: Chapter 10
	11/23-11/25	NO CLASS; Thanks Break
15	11/28	Biodiversity & Conservation	B&W: Chapter 10
	11/30-12/2	Group Presentations	Paper on Local Issue Due
16	12/5-12/7	Group Presentations
	12/9-12/15	FINAL EXAM PERIOD	Final passed out in last class.