Biology 100 Academic Treasure Hunt
THIS IS A REQUIRED ASSIGNMENT. I have compiled a list of suggestions for course-related
activities worth 30 points toward your grade in this course. Each activity has a point value and
will be graded credit/no credit. If you receive “no credit” for an activity, you may make the necessary
revisions and then get your credit. You will pick a combination of activities that suits you, but I encourage
doing varied activities.
DUE DATES: 15 points due by Jan. 31; 15 more points due by Feb. 25
HOW DO YOU RECEIVE CREDIT FOR YOUR ACTIVITY?
(1) Each activity is worth 5 points unless noted otherwise.
(2) Unless the instructions state otherwise, type a brief description of what you did and respond to what
you read, saw, heard, thought, experienced, etc. “I” statements are fine. Include what was of particular
interest to you; how did it add to something you learned in class? How did it alter your view of the
subject? Why is it important to know about this topic? Use proper grammar and spelling. Do not just
summarize.
(3)An asterisk * indicates that you may only submit that type of activity once.
SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES:
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*Visit Liz in her office. (MUST BE DONE BY Jan. 16)
* Explain a concept we are studying to someone who is not taking the course.
* Take part in a study group of SCCC Biol 100 students (minimum of 3 people) at least five
times.
* Attend a lecture off-campus(must be approved by Liz in advance; I’ll make suggestions when
I have a recommendation. 10 pts
* Watch a relevant TV program from PBS or Discovery channel
or Watch a video/dvd from the collection at SCCC media center in the library.
Good choices in SCCC library include: dvd series "Evolution"; video series "Intimate
Strangers: unseen life on earth." One segment (1 hr)
*TAKE A FIELD TRIP
Woodland Park Zoo, Seattle Aquarium, Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, Pacific Science Center
(include admissions receipts with your report)
Conservatory in Volunteer Park (free), Chittenden Locks (free), UW Arboretum(free), Discovery
Park walk with a naturalist (free) - check the outdoor events section of the newspaper
 *GO TO YOUR LOCAL FARMERS MARKET (the 1-day-a week in a neighborhood type)
Buy a vegetable you’ve never eaten. Find out where it was grown, and include it in a meal. Visit a
supermarket (don’t go to PCC or Whole Food for this) to see if that same type of vegetable is there. If
yes, can you find out where it was grown? Your assignment should include how you prepared the
product, how you liked it, how far the vegetable traveled to get to the farmers market compared with
the same product at a supermarket, and anything else you’d like to add. (10 pts)
 * WATCH 1 MOVIE FROM THIS LIST and write a response as specified below.
Contact - Describe the issues that involve science. What limitations, if any, should scientists place on
themselves or should there be placed on scientists?
GATTACA - Describe the biological and bioethics issues presented here. How feasible would it be to
adopt the procedures presented in this film?
Lorenzo’s Oil - Describe three issues that involve the scientific community, the family, bioethics, etc.
An Inconvenient Truth –Describe some areas for which most scientists are in agreement. What are
some problems causing global climate change and some problems caused by global climate change?
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Read one or more chapters from a book (chapter must be at least 3 pages) Suggested
readings are: an unassigned chapter from our textbook; Silent Spring by Rachel Carson; The Double
Helix by James Watson; Botany of Desire or Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan;. Dr. Tatiana’s
Sex Advice to all Creation by Olivia Judson, Your Inner Fish by Neil Shubin. Reading the whole book
= 20 pts.
Check with me if there is another book you would like to read.
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Read an article at least 3 pages long (must exist as a hardcopy, not just an online article)
Choose an article from National Geographic, Discover, Scientific American or a relevant article in
periodicals such as Newsweek . Below are some suggestions:
“Do Parasites Rule the World?” Dis Aug 00
“Was Darwin Wrong?” Nat Geo Nov 04
“Are Antibiotics Killing Us?” Dis Nov. 05
“An Earth without People” SciAm July 07
“Does race exist?” Sci Am Dec 03
“Aliens among us” Dis
“A Question of Gender” Dis Jan 00
"Skin Deep" Sci Am Oct. 02
"Parasitic Sex" SciAm April 02
“Global Warming” Nat Geo Sept 04
"Attack of the Flying Carp” Dis Mar 12
“Spring Forward” SciAm Jan04
"Great Mysteries of Human Evolution" Dis Sept 03
“Just how smart are ravens?” SciAm Apr 07
“Stem Cells: the real culprits in cancer?” SciAm Jul 06 “Finland’s Fascinating Genes” Dis Apr 05
“Cancer Clues from Pet Dogs SciAm Dec 06
“The Greenhouse Hamburger” SciAm Feb 09
“Evolved for Cancer?” SciAm Jan 07
“The future of stem cells” SciAm Jul 05
“Seeking the connections: alcoholism and our genes” SciAm Apr 07
“Experimental Man” Dis Apr 09
“Sowing a gene revolution” SciAm Sep07
“What makes us human” SciAm Feb 09
“The power to divide” Nat Geo Jul05
“Inside out: a DNA diary” Dis Sept 08
”Earth without people” Dis Feb 05
“Dinosaur Resurrection” Dis Apr 09
“This is your ancestor” Dis Nov 04
“Masters of Disguise” SciAm May 11
“How are we evolving” SciAm 10
“The Growing Menace from Superweeds” SciAm May 11 “Darwin’s Living Legacy” SciAm Jan09
“The Devil’s Cancer” SciAm Jun 11
“A new path to longevity” SciAm Jan 12
“What will become of Homo Sapiens” SciAm Jan09
“More food, less energy” SciAm Jan 12
“Twins” NatGeo Jan 12
“The human vector” Dis Mar 12
“Vital Signs” Dis Mar 12
“Me, myself, us” Economist 8/18/12
“Why we help” SciAm Jul12
“The ultimate social network” SciAm Jun12
“Waiting to explode” SciAm Jun12
“The price of silent mutations” SciAm Jun09
“Ecosystems on the brink” SciAm Oct12
“Can animals be gay?” NYtimes 4/5/10
“The ecosystem inside” Dis Mar11
“The inner life of the genome” SciAm Feb11
“Meet the new human family” Dis May11
“The growing menace from superweeds”SciAm
May11