Syllabus
BIO 120
Human Ecology
|
Lecture: Tuesday and Thursday
12:30-1:45 |
Instructor: Geralyn M. Caplan
Office Hours: MW after 12:30, TTh after 2:30, Fri by appointment
Office Location: S117 (Science Building)
e-mail: geralyn.caplan@kctcs.edu
Web site: www.owensboro.kctcs.edu/gcaplan
BlackBoard:
http://elearning.kctcs.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp
Course Description: A study of the interrelationships of man,
populations, space, energy, food, mineral resources, and other life on
Earth.
Course Objectives:
To gain an understanding of the science of ecology
To describe how energy and matter are related, and how they
pertain to ecosystems and human activities.
To describe and identify cycles found in nature.
How do communities, ecosystems and organisms change as
conditions change.
To explain evolution and the mechanism of natural selection.
To describe what key factors determine variations in weather
and climate.
To describe methods of waste disposal, air and water
pollution, and how they affect the ecosystem and human
activities.
To describe the affect the growing human population has on
human activities and the environment.
Requisites: none
Assigned Book:
Wright, Richard T.
Environmental Science 10th Edition
Pearson/Prentice Hall, New Jersey 2005
Assignments:
Reading: Assignments are to be read prior to each
class. Each test will include a number of questions that are not
covered in class but can be answered if you read your book.
Tests cover all material covered or assigned to date of
exam.
Current events: The students will be required to find 2
current events and report on them. All papers must be
presented at a level 4 in accordance with the OCTC expectations
Human Impact Paper Students will
investigate and write a paper pertaining to their personal
environmental impact All papers must be presented at a level
4 in accordance with the OCTC expectations although the word "I"
is allowed on the assignment
Discussions on BlackBoard: Students participate in
various discussions on the BlackBoard website. In accordance
with level 2 of the OCTC expectations although the word I is
allowed on the assignment.
Homework or class work as assigned
Attendance & Participation: 10% of the lecture grade
(prior to the final). Participation means taking part in class
discussions. Poor attendance can affect the final grade.
Grading Criteria:
Letter grades are not given for individual papers and tests. The
lecture grade will be based on the percentage earned of total
possible points on the human impact paper report, current events
reports, homework, attendance, exams and end of term final and
involvement in class discussions.
|
Final
(26% of the grade) |
200 points |
|
3 exams
(40% of the grade) |
100 points each |
|
2 current events
(13% of the grade) |
50 points each |
|
Human Impact Paper
(13% of the grade) |
100 points |
|
Discussions on BlackBoard |
5 to 10 points each |
|
Homework or class work |
10 points each |
|
Attendance & Participation |
50 points |
Tests will be returned during the following lecture. Test grades
will not be given out early. Do not call or ask for grades; however
I may have them posted on BlackBoard. I will send an e-mail. Do not
call and ask me.
Grading Scale: A 90-100 %
B 80-89
C 70-79
D 60-69
E Less than 60% The grades will not be curved.
Make-Up Work:
Exams can only be made up if I have received prior notice.
Exams are made up only in emergency situations. If a student is
going to miss an exam I expect a phone call or an e-mail before
the test time. If the student does not contact me I may not let
them make up the test. I will not track students down to remind them
about missed tests. The test must be made up during or before the next
class. Any student that sits through a review of the test results before
making up the test will receive a 0 even if plans were made to make up
the test. This is the student’s responsibility. Not knowing about an
exam, not being ready for an exam or missing the week before are not
valid excuses.
This class is worth 3 college credits. To earn these credits you are
expected to attend class and turn in your work. Failure to turn in
any of the 3 papers will result in a lower grade for the semester
.
Late assignment and papers will lose 5 points a day. They
are accepted for only one week after the due day. Do not hand them to me
later. After one week they have lost too many points. This includes
major papers. There will be no excuses. Late BlackBoard assignments can
not be made up. .
Attendance:
THIS IS NOT A DIFFICULT CLASS BUT MATERIAL IS COVERED VERY FAST
AS A RESULT EXCESSIVE ABSENCE WILL NEGATIVELY AFFECT YOUR GRADE.
Excessive absence will result in an automatic lowering of the
student’s grade.
3 days missing lowers the percent lecture grade 5%
4 days missing lowers the percent lecture grade 10%
5 days missing lowers the percent lecture grade 15%.
Anything more is the equivalent of missing 3 weeks and is an
automatic fail unless the student withdraws.
I do not except excused absences. A missed lecture is a missed
lecture, the reason behind the absence does not matter. The student
is expected to attend every lecture for the full amount of
time that it is scheduled. Do not schedule any appointments
during class time. Doctors have office hours that do not
interfere with class, schedule appointments during those hours.
Students are responsible for signing the attendance book before the
end of the class. Attendance is necessary in order to keep up with
the course work. Students are responsible for all material assigned.
Not knowing something is assigned or forgetting that it was assigned
is not a valid excused. I will not supply missed notes or
assignments. Do not e-mail and ask for them.
Class Behavior
Disruptive behavior will not be tolerated. That includes
talking, sleeping, tardiness, and general messing around.
Anyone messing around will be asked to leave. If you are sleeping I
may make a point out of waking you up and suggesting that you leave.
If you regularly disrupt the class you may automatically fail in
accordance with the Student Code of Conduct and the
Standards For Professional Conduct
Tardiness will not be tolerated. Be in the class before the
beginning of the class period.
I will grade as a 0 any papers that are turned in that I suspect
have been copied and are not the student’s original work.
No cell phones. Turn your phone off when entering the class.
If your phone rings during lecture take your books and leave. Make
arrangements with the secretary Barbara Bradley at 686-4632
if anyone needs to be able to reach you.
Student Responsibility
The students are expected to generate discussions during class
time
Attendance is your responsibility. Do not tell me you were
present but forgot to sign the book.
Students must read all pertinent material. I will not tell you to
read pages x to z. You are expected to read the entire chapter and
be able to discuss it in the next class.
Students need to keep track of their own progress. Talk to me
before it is too late to correct your grades. Frequently students do
not appreciate all of the factors that affect their grades. I cannot
help you is you wait until the final to talk to me.
Students are expected to review all materials frequently.
Exams will include lecture material, material from the textbook and
material from BlackBoard and any additional reading material.
Students must turn their homework in and turn it in on time.
Students must follow all of the assignments instructions.
Students are expected to turn in professional work.
Students are expected to follow the Standards For
Professional Conduct in regards to personal behavior
Homework
Missing any of the 3 major papers will result in a lower grade
for the semester.
Sign papers with the name that you are registered under.
Any paper not written in blue or black ink or pencil will
not be graded. I do not accept papers written in rainbow
colors.
Any number represented without a unit will be marked
wrong. (ie. There is a difference between a measurement that is
10 grams or 10 pounds. So don’t tell me the answer was 10.)
Answers that are given in incomplete sentences
will be worth only ½ credit. This does not include
questions that ask for a single word or a list of characteristics.
If you are not sure, err on the side of caution and write a complete
sentence.
Only ½ credit will be given to papers that do not follow
the assignments instructions.
Staple all of papers before handing them in!!!!!!
Unstapled papers will lose 5 points
Make sure that you hand your paper to me at a time that I can put
it in a folder. I am not responsible for papers that are left in my
mailbox or tossed on top of my lecture overheads.
I will grade as a 0 any papers that are turned in that I
suspect have been copied and are not the student’s original work. If
it sounds like I am repeating myself it is because this is a serious
issue.
Turn your homework in and turn it in on time. Late papers will
lose 5 points per day.
If I cannot read it; I cannot grade, and I will not devote my
time to decipher it.
All papers will follow Level 4 of Essential Methods of
Expression Through Performance and Production: The Written Word
Course Specific Competency
I. Communicate Effectively
Upon completion of the course, the student should be able to:
1. Read and listen with comprehension
Assessment methods may include reading assignments, class
discussions, and exam questions
2. Speak and write clearly using Standard English.
Assessment methods may include writing assignments, and
discussions on BlackBoard
3. Interact cooperatively with others using both verbal and non-verbal
means
Assessment methods may include discussions on BlackBoard and
in class.
Demonstrate information procession through basic computer skills
Assessment methods may include gathering material from the
web-site and interacting with BlackBoard and researching various
papers.
II. Critical Thinking
Upon completion of the course, the student should be able to:
Make connections in learning across disciplines and draw logical
conclusions
Assessment methods may include discussions on ecology
as biological vs. social-economic factors, historical discoveries,
and the relevance of politics, demographics, and economics in
ecology...
Demonstrate problem solving through interpreting, analyzing,
summarizing, and/or integrating a variety of materials.
Assessment methods may include discussion and interpretation
of current events, human impact papers, exams and discussions on
BlackBoard.
3. Use mathematics to organize, analyze, and synthesis data to solve a
problem.
Assessment methods may include discussion, current events,
and human impact reports.
III. Learn Independently
Upon completion of the course, the student should be able to:
Use appropriate search strategies and resources to find, evaluate,
and use information
Assessment methods may include reading assignments, current
events, and researching and writing human impact papers.
Make choices based upon awareness of ethics and different peoples
perspectives and ideas
Assessment methods may include discussion, assignments,
and/or examination questions on bioethical issues.
3. Apply, learning in academic, personal, and public situations
Assessment methods may include discussions on BlackBoard,
assignments, and/or examination questions on case studies, human
impact papers, and current events.
4. Think creatively to develop new ideas, processes, or products.
Assessment methods may include discussions on BlackBoard,
assignments, and/or examination questions on human interaction with
the external environment.
IV. Examine Relationships in Diverse and Complex Environments
Upon completion of the course, the student should be able to:
1. Recognize the relationship of the individual to human heritage and
culture
Assessment methods may include written assignments and
questions on exams and quizzes human interaction with biological
environment in terms of bioethical issues, humans as biological vs.
sociopsychological being, and historical discoveries
2. Demonstrate and awareness of the individual to the biological and
physical environment.
Assessment methods may include written assignments and
questions on exams and quizzes on human interaction with the
external environment.
Develop an awareness of self as an individual of a multicultural
global community
Assessment methods may include discussion and interpretation
of case studies and current events where group work is emphasized.
Withdrawal:
Students may withdrawal from the class without a grade until January 18th.
March 10th is the last day for students, at their discretion, to
officially withdrawal from the class and receive a grade of W. After this
date, students may withdraw and receive a grade of W only with permission of
the instructor and only until 12 pm May 2rd.
I will sign for a W for any student that has been attending class but
cannot complete the course or feels that they need to repeat the course. You
must come into my office during office hours so that I can calculate your
grade. I will not sign drop slips before or after class. I will fail
students that stop attending class and fail to fill out proper drop forms. I
will not sign a form for students that have missed most of the semester and
than come to me at the last minute to drop. If the business office will
not let you drop until bills are paid contact me. I will let you drop when
the business office clears you, but I need to know before hand.
Please come and talk to me before you make a decision to drop this class.
Many students feel that they are failing when they are not
Cheating and Plagiarism:
Students are expected to follow the OCTC Standards For
Professional Conduct in regards to plagiarism Representing
someone else's words or thoughts as your own is plagiarism.
Plagiarism is theft and is considered a serious offense.
This includes exchanging answers on homework, and copying from
another published or Internet source, by either lifting material
directly from a source or borrowing a passage and changing only a
few words without attributing it to the source. In
addition quoting excessively from a source that is attributed is
also plagiarism. Your work must be your own.
To avoid plagiarizing do not help one another by handing over
your work or copying directly from someone else’s paper. Working
together does not translate into copying one another’s assignments.
To prevent lifting material directly from a source do not write your
papers with the source directly in front of you.
CHEATING AND PLAGIARISM WILL NOT BE TOLERATED.
Such activities will result in a grade of 0 for that particular
exam or assignment. Both parties will receive a 0 if material is
copied and may result in failure of the course in accordance with
the Code of Student Conduct.
I think ethical behavior is very important and thus I take this
very seriously
Class Schedule:
The instructor reserves the right to change the syllabus. The
dates for exams may be changed so that we are free to adjust the
amount of time needed for each topic. You are expected to keep up
with test dates as they are established.
Due to time constraints I am limited in the amount of material
that I can present. You are expected to fill in the rest by reading
the text. You are expected to read the entire chapter because I
will test on material not covered in class.
OCTC Standards of Professional Conduct
Owensboro Community and Technical College strives to foster academic,
professional, and personal excellence in our faculty, staff, and students.
Because we recognize it is through our interaction with others that our own
potential can be realized, we seek to nurture actions and characteristics
which promote our mutual growth as individuals and as an organization.
This development can be assisted by conscious encouragement of
professionalism in all forms of interaction involving faculty, staff, and
students. For this reason, we are committed to developing professional
attitudes toward academic activities and personal growth.
Recognition as a professional is something to be earned – a reputation
that is developed and maintained every day. Professionalism is a way
of being, knowing, and doing that sets one apart. It gives direction
to how a person looks, behaves, thinks, and acts. It brings together
one’s identity, what one values, how one treats other people, and what one
contributes in the classroom and
in the workplace. Professionals view their work
as a source of pride and as a reflection of the role they play in society.
Growth as a professional is possible for employees at all levels of
experience and education. The development and refinement of a strong
work ethic should be a personal goal throughout one’s life. Since
people develop as individuals in communion with others, the particular
actions and characteristics will vary as greatly as the number of
experiences that arise; certain traits, however, can be identified that
further positive human interaction rather than hinder it. The
integration of these traits in each person is, then, the central goal of our
effort. Professional integrity results from a combination of positive
character traits, a respect for self and others, and the assumption of
responsibility as individuals and as a learning community.
Essential Methods of Expression Through Performance and Production: The
Written Word
All papers will be presented at Level 4
Expression at this level would be tailored to the needs of the
audience/customer/class/instructor. When including outside research,
APA format will be followed. Complete sentences are required, and grammar,
mechanics, and spelling are evaluated
Note: Students writing at Levels 2, 3, and 4 would not use "I" or "you"
unless otherwise instructed to do so. Students are to follow the forms
in the official APA books.
** "I" will be allowed on the Human Impact Paper but the
word "you" is not allowed.**
BlackBoard assignments will exhibit at least Level 2: Complete
sentences are required, and correct grammar and spelling should be used.