TENTATIVE SCHEDULE
BIOLOGICAL INQUIRY AND ANALYSIS
SPRING 2020

DATE

SOURCE


TOPIC

REQUIRED READING
(completed BEFORE class)

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

Jan. 14

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. 16

Course Manual Chapt. 1

Scientific Methodologies; Library Resources

Course Syllabus
McMillan Chapt. 1; Chemical Communication in Insect Communities

Plagiarism Tutorial (I)
Plagiarism Quiz (I)

Jan. 21

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. 23

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. 28

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. 30

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. 4

Web Assignment 15C

Understanding Experimental Design (SimBio)

Experimental Design Section 1 and Section 2* and graded questions (I)*

Feb. 6 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. 11

Course Manual Chapt. 4 (cont.) Writing your research paper The Evidence for Biological Evolution Peer Review* (I)
Feb. 13 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. 18

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. 20 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. 25

Web Assignment 19 (cont.)

Test I;

Misconceptions about Evolutionary Evidence

 Creationist Perspectives

Evolutionary Evidence Graded Questions (I)
Feb. 27 Course Manual Chapt. 7 Ecological Interactions: Conducting Ecology Experiments II   Begin researching community issues (I)

March 3

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

Statistical Terms and Calculations Quiz (I)
March 5 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 10

Web Assignment 6

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 12 Course Manual Chapt. 9 Ecological Interactions: Complete Writing of a Scientific Paper   Research Presentation (G)
Ecology Research Paper Draft (I)

March 16-20

SPRING BREAK

March 24

Course Manual Chapt. 9 (cont.)

 

Misconceptions About Natural Selection & Adaptation

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

Peer Review* (I)

March 26 Course Manual Chapt. 10 Community Research: Developing your Initial Investigation  

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

March 31

Web Assignment 10

Natural Selection: Darwinian Snails (SimBio)

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

April 2

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

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

Apr. 7

Web Assignment 10 (cont.)

Evolution in Ecology Section 4 Graded Questions (I)

Apr. 9

Course Manual Chapt. 12

Community Research: Further Investigation


Darwinian Snails Graded Questions (I)

Apr. 14

Web Assignment 11; Synthesis Day

Test II; Hardy Weinberg Equilibrium: Sickle-cell Alleles (SimBio)

Study the video Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium

Read Making sense of Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium
Read pp. Sickle-Cell Alleles Introductory Material

  
Apr. 16

Course Manual Chapt. 13

Community Research: Statistical Analysis and Developing Scientific Poster Displays

    

Apr. 21

Web Assignment 11 (cont.)

Sickle-cell Alleles Graded questions (I)
Apr. 23 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. 28

 Wrap-up

 

Hardy-Weinberg Problem Set (G)

Apr. 30

 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 7 - 8:00 a.m.. (Kirschman's 8:30 section).

·  May 4 - 10::30 a.m.(Kirschman's 11:30 section)

 

 

ASSIGNMENT

TYPE

POINTS

Finding Good Info Homework (Jan. 14) Individual 5
Plagiarism Quiz (Jan. 16) Individual 5
Essay: Science/Non-science (Jan. 21) Individual 5

Behavior Articles & Citations (Jan. 23)

Individual

5

Quiz: Life on Earth and Judgement Day Video (Jan. 28)

Individual

10

Behavior Data Table/Graph (Jan. 30)

Individual

5

Graphing Exercise (Jan. 30) Individual 3

Experimental Design Feedback and Graded Questions Sections 1 & 2 (Feb. 4)

Individual /Group

5

Behavior Research Paper Draft (Feb. 6)

Individual

10

Peer Review (Feb. 11)

Individual

5 

Behavior Research Individual & Group Assessments (Feb. 13)

Individual

5

Behavior Final Research Paper (Feb. 13)

Individual

20

Ecology Articles & Citations (Feb. 20) Individual 5

Ecology Oral Presentation (Feb. 20)

Group

5

EvoEvidence Feedback & Graded Questions (Feb. 25) Individual 5
Statistical Terms and Calculations Quiz (March 3) Individual 5
Ecology Data Tables/Graphs (March 5) Individual 5

Summary/Citations for Community Issues (March 5)

Individual

5

Ecology Research Paper Draft (March 12)

Individual

10

Peer Review (March 24) Individual 5
Evolution in Ecology Sections 1 &2 Graded Questions (March 24) Individual 6
Ecology Research Individual & Group Assessments (March 26) Individual 5

Final Ecology Research Paper (March 26)

Individual

30

Evolution in Ecology Section 3 Graded Questions (March 31) Individual 3

Essay: Nature of Science (March 31)

Individual

10

Community Research Articles/Citations (April 2)

Individual

5

Community Research Oral Presentation (April 2) Group 5
Evolution in Ecology Section 4 Graded Questions (April 7) Individual 3
Snails Feedback & Graded Questions (April 9) Individual 5
Sickle-cell Feedback & Graded questions (April 21) Individual 5

Poster Draft (April 23)

Individual

10

Hardy Weinberg Problem Set (April 28) Group/Individual 5

Community Research Individual & Group Assessments (April 30)

 Individual

5

Final Community Research Poster (April 30) 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.