PBIO 006 Syllabus 2010

Monday, July 2 - Thursday, July 26
8:30 - 11:00 a.m.
Room 112 Jeffords Hall

Instructor Contact Information:
Dr. Catherine A. Paris
308 Jeffords Hall
e-mail: cparis@uvm.edu
802-656-0426 (office)
802-338-0312 (cell)

Course Overview

Welcome to Plant Biology 006, The Green World! This course, designed for students whose main interests are outside of the life sciences, will introduce to you the fascinating world of plants. Plants, as you know, are the basis of our planet’s life support system. Understanding their use (and abuse!) is fundamental to understanding human cultures. Over the course of the next four weeks, we will explore how plants live, grow, and reproduce; how humans have used plants for food, medicine, clothing, and shelter; and many other topics of interest today.

The course includes two main topic areas, Basic Plant Biology and Plants and Human Affairs. We will spend approximately half the course on each topic.

Textbook

The lecture sequence in this course generally follows that of Levetin and McMahon's Plants and Society, ed. 5. A reading assignment is given for each topic on the lecture schedule: please prepare for class by reading the assigned material ahead of time. Several copies are on reserve in the Bailey/Howe library. You can doubtless find used copies on the web (be sure to look for edtion 5). Alternatively, you can buy access to a digital version of the textbook by going to http://www.coursesmart.com/0077272684?__professorview=false&__instructor=2736218

Blackboard

What is Blackboard? – Blackboard is a software package that provides students with online access to course content. We have used it to create a web site for PBIO 006 – only those students registered for the course can access it. Students in PBIO 006 are expected to become familiar with the website and to use it regularly: it is an integral part of the course.

How will we use Blackboard in PBIO 006? In many ways: to begin with, the syllabus and lecture schedule are posted on the website. It is also where you will find the slides used in class, extra readings, and your course grades. Class announcements, reminders about upcoming exams, occasional quizzes, and other course information will appear on the web site throughout the semester.

How do I access the PBIO 006 Web site? – It’s easy! You can access the site from any computer that has an Internet connection by logging on using your UVM NetID and password.

Exams

You will take three exams in Plant Biology 006 over the course of the next four weeks, two hourlies and a final. The final will be cumulative.

Exam 1: July 12

Exam 2: July 20 (Note: this is a Friday, a makeup day, as we have no class on Independence Day)

Final Exam: July 26

Quizzes

A quiz will be posted every day on Blackboard. These will be short and will cover recent course material. Quizzes will not be given on exam days.

Project

One of the goals of PBIO 006 is to engage you in closer observation of the green world than you may have done before. To facilitate that observation, each student will focus on a particular flowering plant and track it through the four weeks of the course. More details will be provided soon, but this will get you started:

Choose a plant species, herbaceous or woody, that is not yet in bloom but whose buds are already forming. Make sure it is in a location where you can visit it daily.
Each day you will visit your plant and observe how it is developing. Are the buds opening? Are the stamens shedding pollen? Is it being visited by insect pollinators? Are the petals starting to fall as flowering comes to an end? Is the fruit beginning to form? Record each day's observation in a small journal purchased exclusively for this purpose.
In addition, you will photograph or sketch an individual flower on your chosen plant, recording its progress through the various stages of flowering and fruiting. These sketches or photographs should be made at least three times per week throughout the course. Make sure each photograph or sketch corresponds to a journal entry.
On the last day of class, you will make a short presentation on your plant to the class. The presentation will include the following: common and scientific name of the plant, plant family, geographic range of the species, location of the individual plant you have been tracking, why you chose the plant you did, interesting natural history or cultural notes about the species (brief), and a series of images of your plant. The presentation can be a power point presentation or you can display a few of your photos or sketches and use them to illustrate your talk. You will hand in your journal and photos or sketches.

Need ideas? Some of the flowering plants that you can look for include basswood (a tree), clovers and vetches, wild strawberry, and white campion. Cultivated (garden) plants blooming around this time of year include certain lilies, clematis, delphinium, foxglove, tomatoes, and sweet pea. The gardens planted around Jeffords Hall may contain just the plant you need!

Grading

Your final grade will be calculated as follows:

Hourly exams (15% each) ---------------- 30%

Final exam ---------------------------------- 25%

Quizzes -------------------------------------- 20%

Project ----------------------------------------15%

Attendance, participation ----------------- 10%

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is expected of all UVM students. The University of Vermont has a strict policy concerning academic integrity; violations of this policy will not be tolerated. Consequences for violation range from a zero on the test or assignment to expulsion from the University. The UVM policy on academic integrity can be found at: http://www.uvm.edu/~cses/?Page=ah.html&SM=ahmenu.html

Course Etiquette

Please adhere to the following guidelines:

Arrive on time
Turn off your cell phone before you enter the lab
No text messaging during class

Thank you for your participation!
Cathy Paris