TENTATIVE SCHEDULE
BIOLOGICAL INQUIRY AND ANALYSIS
SPRING 2019

DATE

SOURCE


TOPIC

REQUIRED READING
(completed BEFORE class)

ASSIGNMENTS DUE
(at BEGINNING of class unless marked with an '*';
I = individual, G = group)

Jan. 15

Web Assignment 2C

Science as a Way of Knowing: Science and Non-Science

Fake News or Real?

Finding Good Information in a Post-Truth World - see Canvas (I)

Jan. 17

Course Manual Chapt. 1

Scientific Methodologies; Library Resources

Course Syllabus
McMillan Chapt. 1

Plagiarism Tutorial (I)
Plagiarism Quiz (I)

Jan. 22

Web Assignment  18

Visualizing Life on Earth: Data Interpretation in Evolution

View Video - Judgement Day: Intelligent Design on Trial
Essay:  What distinguishes science from non-science? (I)

Jan. 24

Course Manual Chapt. 2 Science as a Way of Knowing: How do you Design an Experiment? McMillan Chapter 2 pp. 31-36; Chapter 4 pp. 75-81; Chapter 6

Animal Behavior articles and citations (I); Activity 2.4 (Course Manual);

Jan. 29

Course Manual Chapt. 3

Experimental Design

The Concerns of Science (Appendix); Evolution and the Nature of Science

Quiz: Life on Earth and Judgement Day Video* (I)

Jan. 31

Course Manual Chapt. 3 (cont.)

Science as a Way of Knowing: How do you Analyze Data?  

McMillan Chapter 3, Chapter 4 pp.81-87

Data Table and Graph (I)
Experiment Flow Chart (I/G)
Graphing Exercise* (I)

Feb. 5

Web Assignment 15C

Understanding Experimental Design (SimBio)

Section 1 - feedback & graded questions (I)

Section 2 - feedback & graded questions (I)*

Feb. 7 Course Manual Chapt. 4 Science as a way of Knowing: How do You Write a Complete Scientific Paper? McMillan Chapter 4 pp. 65-75, 87-110

Behavior Research Paper Draft (I)

Feb. 12

Course Manual Chapt. 4 (cont.) Writing your research paper The Evidence for Biological Evolution Peer Review* (I)
Feb. 14 Course Manual Chapt. 5

Ecological Interactions: Methods of Collection in Ecology

McMillan Chapters 7 and 8

Group and Individual Assessments I (I); 
Final Behavior Research Paper (I)

Feb. 19

Web Assignment 19 Evolutionary Evidence: Do traits of organisms provide evidence of evolution? (SimBio) Evolution 101: An Introduction to Evolution and The History of Life: Looking at Patterns


Feb. 21 Course Manual Chapt. 6 Ecological Interactions: Conducting Ecology Experiments I  McMillan Chapter 10 pp. 190-209 Ecology articles and citations (I)
Ecology Oral Presentation (G)

Feb. 26

Web Assignment 19 (cont.)

Test I;

Misconceptions about Evolutionary Evidence

 Creationist Perspectives

Evolutionary Evidence Graded Questions (I)
Feb. 28 Course Manual Chapt. 7 Ecological Interactions: Conducting Ecology Experiments II   Begin researching community issues (I)

March 5

 Synthesis Day, Web Assignment 16 Statistics and Understanding Data Definitions and Statistical Terms

Statistical Terms and Calculations Quiz (I)
March 7 Course Manual Chapt. 8 Ecological Interactions: Graphing and Introduction to Data Analysis McMillan Chapter 2 pp. 36-42 Ecology Data Tables and Graphs (I)
Summary and Citation for 3 community issues (I)

March 12

Web Assignment 6, Synthesis Day

Understanding Change in Organisms

 

 Zoological Philosophy; On the tendency of varieties to depart indefinitely from the original type; On the origin of species (Appendix)  
March 14 Course Manual Chapt. 9 Ecological Interactions: Complete Writing of a Scientific Paper   Research Presentation (G)
Ecology Research Paper Draft (I)

March 18-22

SPRING BREAK

March 26

Course Manual Chapt. 9 (cont.)

 

Misconceptions About Natural Selection & Adaptation

Evolution in Ecology Sections 1 & 2 & Graded Questions (I) - SimUText

Peer Review* (I)

March 28 Course Manual Chapt. 10 Community Research: Developing your Initial Investigation  

Group and Individual Assessments II (I)
Final Ecology Research Paper (I)

April 2

Web Assignment 10

Natural Selection: How the Guppy Got its Spots (SimBio)

Nature of Science Essay (I); Evolution in Ecology Section 3 Graded Questions (I)

April 4

Course Manual Chapt. 11 Community Research: Designing and Conducting Your  Investigation  

Community Research Oral Presentation (G)
Community Research articles and citations (I)

Apr. 9

Web Assignment 10 (cont.)

Evolution in Ecology Section 4 Graded Questions (I)

Apr. 11

Course Manual Chapt. 12

Community Research: Further Investigation


Guppy Simulation Graded Questions (I)

Apr. 16

Web Assignment 11

Test II;
Synthesis Day

   
Apr. 18

Course Manual Chapt. 13

Community Research: Statistical Analysis and Developing Scientific Poster Displays

    

Apr. 23

Web Assignment 11

Hardy Weinberg Equilibrium:Why Did the Snake Cross the Road?

Study the video Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium

Read Making sense of Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium
Read pp. 1-2 of "Why did the snake cross the road?"

Apr. 25 Course Manual Chapt. 14 Community Research: Compiling and Peer Reviewing Scientific Poster Displays McMillan Chapter 10 pp. 210-217

Poster Draft (I);
Peer Review* (I)

Apr. 30

 Web Assignment 11 (cont.)

 

Snake study email (G)*

Hardy-Weinberg Problem Set* (G)

May 2

 Course Manual Chapt. 15 Community Research: Critiquing Community Research Poster Displays

Final Community Research Posters (G) 
Group and Individual Assessment III (I)

FINAL EXAM (cumulative)  ·  May 9 - 8:00 a.m.. (Beckers's 8:30 section).

·  May 6 - 10::30 a.m.(Kirschman's 11:30 section)

 

 

ASSIGNMENT

TYPE

POINTS

Finding Good Info Homework (Jan. 15) Individual 5
Plagiarism Quiz (Jan. 17) Individual 5
Essay: Science/Non-science (Jan. 22) Individual 5

Behavior Articles & Citations (Jan. 29)

Individual

5

Quiz: Life on Earth and Judgement Day Video (Jan. 29)

Individual

10

Behavior Data Table/Graph (Jan. 31)

Individual

5

Graphing Exercise (Jan. 31) Individual 3
Experimental Design Feedback Questions Sections 1 & 2 (Feb. 5) Individual
5

Experimental Design Graded Questions Sections 1 & 2 (Feb. 5)

Individual /Group

10

Behavior Research Paper Draft (Feb. 7)

Individual

10

Peer Review (Feb. 12)

Individual

5 

Behavior Research Individual & Group Assessments (Feb. 14)

Individual

5

Behavior Final Research Paper (Feb. 14)

Individual

20

Ecology Articles & Citations (Feb. 21) Individual 5

Ecology Oral Presentation (Feb. 21)

Group

5

EvoEvidence Graded Questions (Feb. 26) Individual 5
Statistical Terms and Calculations Quiz (March 12) Individual 5
Ecology Data Tables/Graphs (March 7) Individual 5

Summary/Citations for Community Issues (March 7)

Individual

5

Ecology Research Paper Draft (March 14)

Individual

10

Peer Review (March 26) Individual 5
Evolution in Ecology Sections 1 &2 Graded Questions (March 26) Individual 6
Ecology Research Individual & Group Assessments (March 28) Individual 5

Final Ecology Research Paper (March 28)

Individual

30

Evolution in Ecology Section 3 Graded Questions (April 2) Individual 3

Essay: Nature of Science (April 2)

Individual

10

Community Research Articles/Citations (April 4)

Individual

5

Community Research Oral Presentation (April 4) Group 5
Evolution in Ecology Section 4 Graded Questions (April 9) Individual 3
Guppy Graded Questions (April 11) Individual 5
Snake study email (April 23) Individual 5
Hardy Weinberg Problem Set (April 23) Group/Individual 5

Poster Draft (April 25)

Individual

10

Community Research Individual & Group Assessments (May 2)

 Individual

5

Final Community Research Poster (May 3) Group 30 (community service counts for 10/30 pts.)
Final Exam (see schedule above) Individual 50

Tests

50 (Test I - 20 pts., Test II - 30 pts.)

Seminars

Individual

20 (5 pts. each)

 TOTAL POINTS

375 pts.