GENERAL INFORMATION
Instructor: Dr. Martin A. Connaughton
Office: 116 Dunning
Phone: Ext. 7727
e-mail: martin.connaughton@washcoll.edu, drc@washcoll.edu
Office hours: Thur. 2:30 - 3:45 and by appointment or drop-in.
Communication:
Class and individual communications will be sent via Blitzmail and students are expected to check Blitzmail daily. I am easier to reach by Blitzmail than by phone.
Lecture: MWF 11:30 - 12:20, Smith 113
Textbooks:
Hacker, D., "A Writer's Reference" (required for all CNW courses)
Futuyma. D.J., "Science on Trial"
Gould, S.J., "The Panda's Thumb"
On reserve in the library:
Ridley, "Evolution"
Futuyma, "Evolutionary Biology"
Bakker, "The Dinosaur Heresies"
Slatkin, "Exploring Evolutionary Biology"
Dawkins "The Blind watchmaker"
Web page:
www.connaughton.washcoll.edu - is my home page, click on CNW 101-26: The Evolution and Diversity of Life in the Chesapeake Region to go to the course home page. The syllabus will be posted on the web and updated as necessary. In addition, I will post in and out of class exercise protocols and any photographs from class trips.
Course description:
In this course the students will learn the basic tenets of evolution, including adaptation and natural selection. Discussions will also touch on the roles of fossils in reconstructing the phylogeny of life on Earth, particularly the evolution of such major groups as fishes, dinosaurs, birds and mammals. These tenets will then be used to discuss the evolution of life in the Chesapeake region. Trips will be planned to visit local fossil beds and the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History.
Goal:
To improve the student's abilities in the areas of library research (books, periodicals, web-resources), writing, oral presentation, computing competency and informed discussion against a backdrop of evolutionary theory.
Objectives:
1. Students will be supplied with an understanding of the basic tenets of evolution and natural selection.
2. Students will become familiar with the on-going debate between creationists and "Darwinists" over the validity of evolutionary theory, and the debate among evolutionary biologists over the rate of evolution.
3. Students will be introduced to the principles of phylogeny the fossil record and some of the major taxa which are now extinct.
4. Students will be encouraged apply their understanding of evolutionary principles to the natural world around them and to works of fiction or fantasy.
5. Students will have a number of in and out of class experiential learning opportunities.
6. Students will have opportunities to develop and expand their oral communication skills
7. Students will demonstrate effective use of word processing, information gathering, communication, presentation, web page-building, and biological simulation software.
8. Student writing will become more analytical, better organized, and more evidence based.
9. Students' writing will become more substantive, more soundly structured, more sophisticated in syntax and diction and more accurate in usage and mechanics.
10. Students will be able to use a broad range of information sources published in a variety of formats: electronic, print, and microform.
ASSESMENT TECHNIQUES
Your course grade will be determined from 4 essays, a joint quizzes and homework grade, two group projects, a class participation grade and an in-class final exam essay.
Grade breakdown:
Essays (4 @10% each) 40%
Quizzes, homework & in class exercises 20%
Group projects (2 @ 10%) 20%
Class participation 10%
Final Exam (essay in class) 10%
Essays:
There will be four essays assigned during the semester and each will be written with a different purpose in mind, including autobiography, explanation, evaluation, and argument. The fifth major writing assignment will be an in-class essay written during the final exam period, which will be you choice of explanation, evaluation or argument essays. In all essays, you will choose a topic from a series of topics provided by the instructor.
The essays and homework assignments should be written using the following guidelines (with the exception that homework assignments will be shorter).
1. Format: All essays will be written using a computer, 500-1000 words in length, in 12 point font, double spaced, and bear 1.25 inch margins on all sides.
2. All writing assignments will be written on ClarisWorks or another word processing program and will be handed-in as a hard copy (printed, not e-mailed or handed-in on disc).
3. The American Psychological Association (APA) documentation style will be used in all assignments requiring citation and references. This can be found under: A/ Alternative styles of Documentation in "A Writers Reference" by Hacker.
4. All assignments must be spell-checked, no more than 3 spelling errors will be tolerated (more than 3 = F). Between the spell-checker on your software, a dictionary, and your reference material for scientific terms, you should have no problem with this.
5. Each essay should have a cover sheet with the title, your name, the date and the honor code pledge, followed by your signature. Homework assignments do not require a cover page, but the aforementioned information should be on the top of the assignment.
Writing center consultation
During the course of the semester all students will be required to attend three conferences with Gail Tubbs, a writing center instructor. One conference will be required for the first (autobiographical essay), one for the second or third essays (explanatory & evaluation), and one for the fourth (argument) essay. Each consultation must be completed no later than two days prior to the due date for the essay in question. Consultation appointments should be made during the first two weeks of the semester. This is a CNW requirement and failure to fulfill this requirement will result in failure of the class. Additional visits to the writing center are encouraged.
Quizzes, homework, & in class exercises:
Quizzes will be brief (one or two questions) assessments of your understanding of the reading assignment for the day and will be unannounced. Homework assignments may include questions about reading assignments designed to prepare you for class discussion or debate, and other items such as computer simulation exercises and the creation of a web page. In class exercises will include independent exercises, including computer simulations, and group exercises, like the Natural Selection exercise we carried out the first day of class.
Group projects:
Group projects will be graded based on:
Written work
- a detailed written outline of the presentation, with references
- 6-8 questions for class discussion
Presentation/discussion
- participation in the oral presentation of the project
- participation in guiding the class discussion following the presentation
The first group project will involve the presentation of an evolutionary concept using PowerPoint presentation software. This project will involve library research of the topic.
The second group project will involve a group-viewing of an assigned movie, analysis of the evolutionary science of the movie and leading a group discussion on the matter.
Class participation:
As this class will revolve around your interaction and involvement in class discussion of topics presented by the instructor or your classmates, class participation will count as10% of your final course grade. The participation grade will be based not only on how often you participate, but the extent to which you show an ability to analyze and synthesize the material being discussed. Improvement in speaking, analysis and synthesis skills will be expected during the course of the semester
Grading rubrics:
Further notes on how the essays, homework assignments and group projects will be graded can be found in the Grading Rubrics attached to the back of this packet.
Honor code:
The Honor Code policy of Washington College is supported in CNW 101-26 and will be enforced when necessary. Students are expected to write and sign a brief statement of the honor code at the top of all written works.
ATTENDANCE POLICY
Attendance at lecture is required and will be checked. Class participation and interaction is important in this class and will determine part of your grade, you cannot participate in class or interact with your classmates if you are not in class. More than three unexcused absences will result in a 10% reduction the final course grade.
Any student late to class twice will lose one of their three 'free' unexcused absences. This will continue until, if need be, the student's grade is reduced, as in the case of three unexcused absences from class.
Any student on Academic or Continued Probation must abide by college policy and be present at ALL classes. Any unexcused absences will be reported to the Assistant Dean's Office.
Fall 2000 Schedule
| Date | Topic | Readings/Assignments |
| M Aug. 28 | Icebreaker exercise | |
| W Aug. 30 |
Icebreaker explained Introduction to course & syllabus |
|
| F Sept. 1 | Introduction to writing center, Introduction to Hacker; thesis statement, paraphrasing |
A: Autobiographical essay R: Hacker C |
| M Sept. 4 | Labor Day - no class | |
| W Sept. 6 |
History of evolutionary science - class discussion |
R: Futuyma, Ch. 2 R: Gould, Essay 7 A: Group presentations |
| F Sept. 8 |
Library instruction 1 Work on group presentations |
L: Newlin room |
| M Sept. 11 |
Library instruction 2 Work on group presentations |
L: Newlin room |
| W Sept. 13 | PowerPoint Tutorial | L: Newlin Room |
| F Sept. 15 | Discussion of evaluating references use of APA citation methods, etc. |
R: Hacker R D: Autobiographical essay |
| M Sept. 18 |
Taxonomy and phylogenetics - class discussion |
R: Futuyma, Ch. 3 R: Gould, Essay 20 |
| W Sept. 20 | Phylogeny exercise | |
| F Sept. 22 | Group presentations - Were dinosaurs warm or cold blooded? |
R: Bakker, Ch. 16, 18 (The Dinosaur Heresies - reserve) D: All group project outlines D: Group 1 presentation |
| M Sept. 25 |
Group presentations - Descent of birds from dinosaurs |
R: Gould, Essay 26 A: Explanatory essay D: Group 2 presentation |
| W Sept. 27 |
Group presentations - Topic to be assigned |
R: To be assigned D: Group 3 presentation |
| F Sept. 29 |
Group presentations - Human evolution |
R: Futuyma, Ch. 5 R: Gould essay 11 D: Group 4 presentation |
| M Oct. 2 |
The fossil record & plate tectonics - class discussion |
R: Futuyma, Ch. 4 |
| W Oct. 4 | Plate tectonics exercise | |
| F Oct. 6 | Fall break - no class | |
| M Oct. 9 | Fossil collecting field trip | L: Meet at van behind Bunting |
| W Oct. 11 |
Natural selection & adaptation - class discussion |
R: Futuyma, Ch. 6 R: Gould, Essay 1 A: Evaluation essay |
| F. Oct. 13 | No class | |
| M Oct. 16 |
Imperfection, perfection & convergence - class discussion |
R: Gould, Essays 2, 3 D: Explanatory essay |
| W Oct. 18 | SimLife computer simulation - Natural selection |
L: Newlin room A: SimLife simulation 2 |
| F Oct. 20 |
Chance and mutation - class discussion |
R: Futuyma, Ch. 7 |
| M Oct. 23 |
Accumulating small change vs. hopeful monsters - class discussion |
R: Gould, Essay 18 R: Dawkins, Ch. 4 (The Blind Watchmaker - on reserve) A: Argument essay D: SimLife simulation data |
| W Oct. 25 | Level of selection - class discussion | R: Gould, Essay 8 |
| F Oct. 27 |
Scientific knowledge - class discussion |
R: Futuyma, Ch. 9 R: Gould, Essay 5, 19, 23 |
| M Oct. 30 | Origin of species - class discussion |
R: Futuyma, Ch. 8 D Evaluation essay |
| W Nov. 1 | Advising day - no class | |
| F Nov. 3 | Creationist arguments/ Reason under fire - class discussion | R: Futuyma Ch. 1, 10 |
| M Nov. 6 | Case for evolution - class discussion | R: Futuyma, Ch. 11 |
| W Nov. 8 | Adobe Pagemill tutorial |
L: Newlin room A: Extinction reports A: Web page project |
| F Nov. 10 | Ecobeaker computer simulation - Heterozygote advantage | L: Newlin room |
| M Nov. 13 | Rate of evolution - class discussion |
R: Gould, Essay 17 R: Bakker, Ch. 19 (The Dinosaur Heresies - reserve) D: Argument essay |
| W Nov. 15 | Extinction - class discussion |
R: Bakker, Ch. 21 (The Dinosaur Heresies - reserve) R: Gould, Essay 27, 28 |
| F Nov. 17 | What caused the extinction of the dinosaurs? |
A: Movie projects D: Extinction reports |
| M Nov. 20 |
Field trip to Smithsonian Museum of Natural History |
L: Meet at van behind Bunting |
| W Nov. 22 | Open | D: Web page project |
| F Nov. 24 | Thanksgiving - no class | |
| M Nov. 27 | Science and the politics of differences - class discussion |
R: Gould, Essays 13 -16 A: Final exam essay topics |
| W Nov. 29 |
Evolution and the movies 1 Video and class discussion |
D: All group project outlines D: Group 1 movie discussion |
| F Dec. 1 |
Evolution and the movies 2 Video and class discussion |
D: Group 2 movie discussion |
| M Dec. 4 |
Evolution and the movies 3 Video and class discussion |
D: Group 3 movie discussion |
| W Dec. 6 |
Evolution and the movies 4 Video and class discussion |
D: Group 4 movie discussion |
| F Dec. 8 | Wrap-up discussion | |
| TBA | In class, open book essay during exam period, bring resource material to exam. |
Key: M = Monday, W = Wednesday, F = Friday
L = Location of class meeting if other than Smith 113
R = Readings for this class, Chapters refer to those in "Science on Trial," by Futuyma, unless another author and book are noted.
A = Assignment for a future class
D = Due during this class period