Syllabus  BIOL  Z237  W01  Summer  2011  online    

Course  name:   BIOL  Z237  Marine  Biology  and  Conservation    Instructor:   Frank  Jordan     Jordan@loyno.edu     504-­‐865-­‐3829  (phone)     504-­‐865-­‐2920(fax)    Office  location:   Monroe  357        Office  hours:   By  appointment    Class  time  and  place:   Online  course  –  no  fixed  meeting  times.    Class  goals:   This   course   examines   diversity,   physiology,   ecology,   and   conservation   of  

microbes,  plants,  and  animals  that  live  in  the  marine  environment.  Emphasis  is  placed  on  how  marine  organisms  have  adapted  to   living  in  their  environment  and  how  humans  depend  upon  and  affect  marine  ecosystems.    

    The   online   version   of   this   course   will   use   a   combination   of   readings   and  

miscellaneous   assignments   to   help   students  meet   the   following   objectives   of  the  Common  Curriculum:  

 • Acquire  effective  skills  in  reading,  writing,  and  synthesis  • Acquire  critical  and  analytical  reasoning  skills  • Acquire  understanding  of  the  natural  world  and  the  scientific  method  • Strengthen  a  commitment  to  social  justice  • Acquire  an  awareness  of  the  interrelationships  among  all  things    

 Learning  outcomes:   Accomplish   the  objectives   listed  above  while   learning  about  major   aspects  of  

the  biology,  ecology,  management,  and  conservation,  of  marine  ecosystems.      Required  textbook:   You   should   purchase   either   the   6th   (ISBN   9780072830644),   7th   (ISBN  

9780073028194),   or   8th   (ISBN   9780078936739)   edition   of   Peter   Castro   &  Michael   Huber’s   book   entitled   Marine   Biology.   The   more   recent   edition   is  preferred  because  it  contains  the  most  up-­‐to-­‐date  material.  

      Power   Point   lectures   and   other   supporting   material   will   also   be   posted   on  

blackboard  for  you  to  download,  read,  and  understand.    Communication:   Distribution   of   course   materials   and   communications   will   be   facilitated   via  

email   and   Blackboard.   You   are   responsible   for   all   materials   placed   on  Blackboard   and   you   should   check   the   Blackboard   site   regularly   for   new  additions.    You  should  also  check  your  email  regularly  for  last  minute  updates  and   additions.   Quizzes   and   other   assignments   will   be   administered   and/or  collected  via  Blackboard  or  another  specified  Internet  location.  You  must  have  access  to  a  functional  computer  with  stable  Internet  access  because  computer  or  technical  problems  are  not  acceptable  excuses  for  incomplete,  late,  or  missed  work.  

 Major  exams:   Not  required  for  online  section  of  Marine  Biology  and  Conservation.    Online  quizzes:   Each  student  will  navigate  to  a TBA website in order to complete a 15-point quiz

for each of the 18 chapters in our textbook.  The  quizzes  will  consist  of  true/false,  matching,  and  multiple-­‐choice  questions.  The  quizzes  are  open  book  and  open  notes,  but  you  will  have  only  15minutes  so   it   is   important   that  you  know  the  material  before  starting  the  quiz.  You  must  complete  the  quiz  once  it  is  started  or  you  will  receive  a  zero  for  that  quiz.  You  may  not  retake  the  quiz  even  if  you  have   a   technical   or   wardrobe  malfunction.   I   will   drop   your   two   lowest   quiz  grades.   You   may   take   quizzes   any   time   after   you   have   read   a   chapter   and  

reflected  on  the  study  questions  at  the  end  of  that  chapter.  All  quizzes  must  be  completed  by  midnight  of  July  24.  Each  student  is  expected  to  take  each  quiz  without  outside  help  and   it   is   inappropriate  to  discuss  the   form  or  content  of  any  quiz  with  other  students  given  that  they  may  not  yet  have  taken  the  quiz.  

 Research  paper   You  will  prepare  a  double-­‐spaced,  8-­‐10  page  technical  paper  on  some  aspect  of  

the  marine  environment  that  you  find  interesting.  You  must  submit  your  topic  for   my   approval   on   the   date   listed   in   the   schedule   below   (5   points).   Each  student  must  use  a  minimum  of  five  primary  scientific  references    (i.e.,  original  articles  from  really  boring,  peer-­‐reviewed  science  journals)  as  background  for  their   paper.   A   list   of   your   references  must   be   submitted   for   approval   on   the  date   listed   in   the   schedule   below   (10   points).   The   main   purpose   of   this  assignment  is  to  have  you  explore  one  topic  in  greater  depth.  With  that  said,  an  almost  equally  important  purpose  of  the  paper  is  to  help  you  strengthen  your  writing   skills   through   the   process   of   writing,   reviewing,   and   revising.   A   MS  Word   or   RTF   version   of   this   paper   is   due   on   the   date   listed   in   the   schedule  below  (85  points).  Don’t  turn  in  a  piece  of  crap!  Instead,  turn  in  what  you  think  is   a   finished   product.   I   will   read,   edit,   critique,   disembowel,   eviscerate,   and  return  the  bloodied  remains  of  your  paper  within  one  week  and  you  will  revise  the  paper   and   resubmit   it   before   the   end  of   the   last   day  of   class   (50  points).    Your  paper  will  be  evaluated  for  plagiarism  and  plagiarism  is  cause  for  failure  of  this  course.  

 Relevant  seminars:   Not  required  for  online  section  of  Marine  Biology  and  Conservation.    Virtual  collection:   The   objective   of   this   assignment   is   to   enhance   your   appreciation   of   the  

diversity  of  marine  animals.  Each  student   is   to  “collect”  one  representative  of  each  of   the  major  animal  groups  by   just   sitting  at  your  computer,   surfing   the  Internet  for  each  of  the  taxonomic  terms  listed  below,  and  copying  and  pasting  a  representative  specimen  (i.e.,  an  image)  of  each  taxonomic  class  into  a  single  MS   PPT   or   similar   document   –   one   taxonomic   class   per   page.   You   must  carefully   label   each   specimen   with   the   following   information:   phylum,   class,  genus,   species,   common  name,  and  collection   locality   (i.e.,   the  URL).  Only  one  specimen   may   come   from   any   root   URL   (e.g.,   www.marinecrittersrus.com).  Your   virtual   critter   collection   is   worth   20   points,   is   due   on   the   date   in   the  schedule   below,   and   should   be   formatted   as   a   MS   Power   Point   (or   similar)  document.  Grades  will   be   based  on   content,   organization,   and   style.   Students  must  work  independently  on  this  assignment.  

 Class  Actinopterygii  Class  Amphibia  Class  Anthozoa  Class  Aves  Class  Bivalvia  Class  Cephalopoda  Class  Cestoda  Class  Chondrichthyes  Class  Gastropoda  Class  Hexapoda  

Class  Mammalia  Class  Merostomata  Class  Myxini  Class  Nematoda  (actually  phylum)  Class  Oligochaeta  Class  Polychaeta  Class  Reptilia  Class  Scyphozoa  Class  Trematoda  Class  Trilobita  

   Cultural  portfolio:   You  will  create  a  “cultural  portfolio”  to  help  establish  connections  between  the  

left  and  right  hemispheres  of  your  brain  –  science  and  culture.  Your  portfolio  will  include  the  following:  

 • An  original  haiku  based  on  a  cool  marine  subject  of  your  choice;  • Ten  literary  excerpts  (e.g.,  poems)  that  deal  with  marine  subjects;  • Ten  visual  artworks  that  have  a  marine  subject  or  theme;  and  

    Your   cultural  portfolio   is  worth  20  points,   is  due  on   the  date   in   the   schedule  

below,   should   be   formatted   as   a  MS  Power   Point   (or   similar)   document,   and  should   include   appropriate   citations   for   literary   excerpts   and   artworks,  

including   URLs   if   found   on   the   Internet.   Grades   will   be   based   on   content,  organization,  and  style.  Students  must  work  independently  on  this  assignment.  

 Fieldtrip:   There  may  be  an  optional  fieldtrip  if  scheduling  permits.    Grading:   As  usual  for  my  classes,  your  grade  will  be  determined  using  a  complex  system  

involving  live  sacrifice,  casting  of  chicken  bones,  reading  of  entrails,  and  divine  piscine   revelation   from   the   Holy   Shad.   Actually,   your   quizzes,   term   paper,  critter  collection,  and  cultural  portfolio  are  worth  about  430  points.  Receiving  60%  of   these  points  earn  you  a  D,  70%  of   these  points  earn  you  a  C,  80%  of  these  points  earn  you  a  B,  and  90%  of  these  points  earn  you  an  A!  

 Miscellaneous:   There  are  no  make  up  exams  and  assignments  may  not  be  turned  in  late.  You  

should  feel  free  to  contact  me  whenever  you  need  help  with  this  course,  life,  the  universe,   or   anything.   I   don’t   have   any   money   so   don’t   bother   asking   me.  Finally,   please   feel   free   to   offer   suggestions   and   constructive   criticism   as   the  semester  progresses.  We  are  all  students.  

 Academic  dishonesty:   Academic   dishonesty   is   unacceptable   and   all   infractions   of   academic  

dishonesty  will  result  in  a  zero  for  the  assignment,  a  referral  to  your  academic  Dean  for  appropriate  earthly  disciplinary  action,  and  ultimately  lead  to  eternal  damnation  in  the  fiery  pits  of  Hell.  Please  note  that  the  most  common  form  of  academic   dishonesty   is   plagiarism,   especially   given   the   ease   of   copying  material  from  the  Internet.  

 Special  needs:   “A  student  with  a  disability   that  qualifies   for  accommodations  should  contact  

Sarah   Mead   Smith,   Director   of   Disability   Services   at   865-­‐2990   (Academic  Resource   Center,   Room  405,  Monroe  Hall).   A   student  wishing   to   receive   test  accommodations  (e.g.,  extended   test   time)  should  provide   the   instructor  with  an   official   Accommodation   Form   from   Disability   Services   in   advance   of   the  scheduled  test  date.”  

 Life  is  uncertain:   This   syllabus   is   subject   to   revision.  All   changes  will   be  posted  on  Blackboard  

and/or   via   email   and   it   is   your   responsibility   to   keep   up   with   changes   in  expectations.  

Tentative  Schedule  BIOL  Z237  Summer  2010  

   

Tentative  schedule  that  you  should  follow  in  order  to  complete  all  materials  by  end  of  summer  online  session.  Although  quizzes  are  taken  at  your  own  pace  (i.e.,  when  you  finish  reading  each  chapter),  it  is  a  mistake  to  wait  until  the  end  of  the  online  session  to  try  to  finish  all  or  many  quizzes!  Other  assignments  are  due  by  midnight  on  dates  listed  below.  You  should  email  me  the  assignments  (as  opposed  to  using  Blackboard).