Section 002: 480 WIDB on M W from 12:30 pm - 2:30 pm
Name : Melinda Ostraff
Office Location : 401 WIDB
Email : mostraff@byu.edu
Field Botany is an opportunity to get outside and look closely at nature by learning the plants commonly grown on campus and found in the local canyons. We will focus primarily on trees and shrubs, but may also learn about some common herbaceous plants. Each day of class, with the exception of exam days, will include time to review the plants learned up to that point followed by a quiz, then a walk on campus to learn 10-15 new species. Any time left over will allow you to make an individual collection to study from. You will learn to recognize each plant both from cuttings and in situ , and recall the family, genus, species and common name for each plant. Be prepared each day for the weather, as we will likely go out in rain and snow on some days. Many students find it helpful to bring 4” x 6” (or larger) note cards, scissors and clear packing tape to make their own collection to study from. Since the quizzes and exams are cumulative, it is imperative that you study diligently or you will quickly find yourself buried under a mountain of confusing plant names. However, if you consistently prepare for each quiz, I expect that you will come to enjoy the course as the incredible diversity of plant life right under our noses reveals itself to you.
Knowledge of Biology
Students will demonstrate a fundamental knowledge of biology
Discover Skills and Tools
Students will develop the discovery skills and tools used by biologists
Use Biological Knowledge
Students will use biological knowledge to enhance their personal lives
Secure Employement
Students will use their skills and knowledge in biology to secure employment or to advance in higher education in biologyrelated disciplines
Demonstrate a fundamental knowledge of biology
Plants are an integral part of the living world and frequently are the dominant species in our ecosystem. However, most of us pass by the plants around us without either recognition or appreciation. In this course you will gain a familiarity with common species growing in our canyons and as horticultural specimens, and learn to recognize them by common, family, genus and species names.
Use biological knowledge
Many of the species you learn in this course will be around you for the rest of your lives (assuming you do not move to a tropical paradise).
. Use your skills and knowledge in biology
The ability to identify common plants will come in helpful in a variety of future careers, including science education, horticulture, field biology, and advanced studies in biology.
Grade Percent
A 93% to 100%
A- 90% to 92%

B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D+
D
D-
E
87% to 89%
83% to 86%
80% to 82%
77% to 79%
73% to 76%
70% to 72%
67% to 69%
63% to 66%
60% to 62%
0% to 59%
Grades will be assessed by the following criteria:
Daily quizzes
Each quiz will consist of identification of 10 randomly selected species from those we have collected up to that point. These quizzes will be cumulative up to the midterm exam, which will cover about 100 species. After the midterm we will start over with the cumulative quizzes for the next 100 species. Each quiz will be worth 10 points and be weighted to 33% of your final grade.
Exams
One mid-term will be given covering all the plants learned up to that date. We will conduct the midterm out in the field identifying plants at random that have been covered previously.
The final exam will cover all the species you have learned with a heavier emphasis on the second half of class and will be similar in format to the mid-term. It will also be 33% of your grade.
Date
M - Aug 27
Intro
Topics Assignments
W - Aug 29
M - Sep 03
W - Sep 05
M - Sep 10
W - Sep 12
M - Sep 17
W - Sep 19
Out in the Field
Labor Day
Labor Day Holiday
Out in the Field
Quiz #1
Out in the Field
Quiz #2
Rock Canyon
Field Trip
Out in the Field
Quiz #3
Bridal Veil Falls
Field Trip
No class

W - Oct 03
M - Oct 08
W - Oct 10
M - Oct 15
W - Oct 17
M - Oct 22
W - Oct 24
M - Oct 29
W - Oct 31
M - Nov 05
W - Nov 07
M - Nov 12
W - Nov 14
M - Nov 19
W - Nov 21
M - Nov 26
W - Nov 28
M - Dec 03
W - Dec 05
Date
M - Sep 24
W - Sep 26
M
T
- Oct 01
- Dec 11
Topics
Out in the Field
Assignments
Out in the Field
Out in the Field
Midterm
Midterm
Out in the Field
Out in the Field
Out in the Field
Out in the Field
Out in the Field
Out in the Field
Out in the Field
Out in the Field
Last day of class instruction
Final Exam
No Classes
Final Exam:
480 WIDB
11:00am - 2:00pm
Due: Wednesday, Sep 05 at 11:59 pm
Due: Monday, Sep 10 at 11:59 pm

Due: Monday, Sep 17 at 11:59 pm
Due: Monday, Oct 01 at 11:59 pm
Assignments Percent of Grade
Imported Assignments 0%
Extra Credit
Quizzes
Quiz #1
Quiz #2
Quiz #3 tests
Midterm
0%
23.08%
7.69%
7.69%
7.69%
76.92%
76.92%
In keeping with the principles of the BYU Honor Code, students are expected to be honest in all of their academic work.
Academic honesty means, most fundamentally, that any work you present as your own must in fact be your own work and not that of another. Violations of this principle may result in a failing grade in the course and additional disciplinary action by the university. Students are also expected to adhere to the Dress and Grooming Standards. Adherence demonstrates respect for yourself and others and ensures an effective learning and working environment. It is the university's expectation, and my own expectation in class, that each student will abide by all Honor Code standards. Please call the
Honor Code Office at 422-2847 if you have questions about those standards.
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 prohibits sex discrimination against any participant in an educational program or activity that receives federal funds. The act is intended to eliminate sex discrimination in education and pertains to admissions, academic and athletic programs, and university-sponsored activities. Title IX also prohibits sexual harassment of students by university employees, other students, and visitors to campus. If you encounter sexual harassment or gender-based discrimination, please talk to your professor or contact one of the following: the Title IX
Coordinator at 801-422-2130; the Honor Code Office at 801-422-2847; the Equal Employment Office at 801-422-5895; or
Ethics Point at http://www.ethicspoint.com, or 1-888-238-1062 (24-hours).
Brigham Young University is committed to providing a working and learning atmosphere that reasonably accommodates qualified persons with disabilities. If you have any disability which may impair your ability to complete this course successfully, please contact the University Accessibility Center (UAC), 2170 WSC or 422-2767. Reasonable academic accommodations are reviewed for all students who have qualified, documented disabilities. The UAC can also assess students for learning, attention, and emotional concerns. Services are coordinated with the student and instructor by the
UAC. If you need assistance or if you feel you have been unlawfully discriminated against on the basis of disability, you may seek resolution through established grievance policy and procedures by contacting the Equal Employment Office at
422-5895, D-285 ASB.
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University Conference, August 24, 2010 "Occasionally, we ... hear reports that our female faculty feel disrespected, especially by students, for choosing to work at BYU, even though each one has been approved by the BYU Board of
Trustees. Brothers and sisters, these things ought not to be. Not here. Not at a university that shares a constitution with the School of the Prophets." Vice President John S. Tanner, Annual University Conference, August 24, 2010