Classroom lectures and your textbook reading will be assisted with a course website in which you can review terminology, read more on subjects that interest you, and take practice quizzes to help you master the material. You are not required to use any of these tools, but many students find that they help in ways similar to study groups. If you participate in on-line discussions (open for one week each time) you can earn up to 3 extra credit points (one for each third of the course) that will be added directly to your final point total.
There will be three exams and a multiple-choice final. No make-up exams will be given, for any reason. If you must miss an exam, the zero will become your low grade. Your lowest midterm grade will be dropped. All students must take the final. Keys will be posted on the course web page. If you feel that an error was made in the grading of your exam, you may request in writing that your test be regraded, handing in your exam with the problems described on a sheet stapled to the front of your exam.
The writing component of this course has two parts: pop
quizzes
(essays) in lecture, and a group project (called a jigsaw). The
five-minute
essays will pop up in lectures throughout the semester, and the best
60%
of them will be counted for a significant portion of your final
grade.
The jigsaw assignment will be done during one week of the course when
we will not have lecture, to allow you time to work independently as
well as with your group members.
We will have some training in library research to help you find
references
relevant to your topic. Each group will present their results via
a web page poster presentation, to be assessed by the other students in
the class.
Plagiarism is unethical and will not be tolerated in this or any course
activity.
| Exams (20% each, a total of 2 midterms and 1 final) | 60% |
| Best 60% of "pop" essay grades | 20% |
| Jigsaw assignment (group members share grade [15%] plus
individual participation is rated by group [5%]) |
20% |
| Date/ day | Topic | Readings - Ricklefs chapter |
| 8 May M |
Introduction | 1 |
| 9 May T |
The Physical Environment | 2 |
| 10 May W |
Adaptation to Environments |
3 |
| 11 May R |
Biological Communities | 4 & 5 |
| 15 May M |
Energy in Ecosystems |
6 |
| 16 May T |
Elemental Cycles and Nutrient Flow |
7 & 8 |
| 17 May W |
EXAM 1 | |
| 18 May R |
Adaptation and Natural Selection |
9 |
| 22 May M |
Life History Strategies |
10 |
| 23 May T |
Sex, Family, Society, Evolution | 11 & 12 |
| 24 May W |
Population Structure [Jigsaw assignment] | 13 |
| 25 May R |
Population Growth and Regulation | 14 |
| 29 May M |
FIU closed - Memorial Day |
|
| 30 May T |
students
attend library class in GL 280 - learn how to find scientific articles
for Jigsaw topic |
|
| 31 May W |
No lecture - Jigsaw - students work independently and with their group | |
| 1 June R |
No lecture - Jigsaw - students work independently and with their group | |
| 5 Jun M | Population Dynamics | 15 |
| 6 Jun T |
Population Genetics and Evolution | 16 |
| 7 Jun W |
EXAM 2 | |
| 8 Jun R |
Predation, Herbivory, Predator/prey [Jigsaw virtual posters must be ready by today] | 17,18 |
| 12 Jun M |
Competition [Jigsaw 5-minute presentations begin at end
of lecture today and the next 5 classes] |
19 |
| 13 Jun T | Coevolution and Mutualism | 20 |
| 14 Jun W |
Community Structure | 21 |
| 15 Jun R | Community Development |
22 |
| 19 Jun M |
Biodiversity and Conservation Biology |
23 & 25 |
| 20 Jun T |
History and Biogeography [teaching evaluations today] | 24 |
| 21 Jun W |
Exam 3 [Jigsaw poster reviews/assessments must be completed by today] | |
| 22 Jun R | Final Exam (Cumulative) |