Biology 1411 – Man and the Environment
Summer II 2015-Ellsworth
Instructor Information:
Mr. Zachary Ellsworth: zellsworth@angelo.edu
Office: CAV 029C
Office Hours:
M:
1:00-3:00
T,W,R: 9:30-10:00
And by appointment
About This Course:
Everything we use in our daily lives from the food we eat and materials for building, to the
clothes we wear and the electronics we use, ultimately comes from the Earth. With the growing
world population, our natural resources are becoming more quickly depleted. It can be difficult,
especially in the U.S., to understand how finite our natural resources truly are. During this
course, we will work to understand how the planet provides our needs and wants, as well as how
our actions and decisions affect the environment both today and in the future.
The content of Biology 1411 includes many generalizations and specifics of environmental
biology. You will be exposed to facts and information provided in lecture, lab, and from the
textbook. You will be expected to remember the facts, as well as demonstrate an understanding
of and ability to work with the information presented throughout the course.
Evaluation will be based on performance from the lecture section (75%) and the lab (25%).
Student Learning Outcomes:
The objective of this course is to better understand the natural sciences and enable the student
to evaluate relationships in the natural sciences in the past, present, and future as well as the
relationship of biotic and abiotic resources. Comprehension of these underlying principles
enables the student to understand the foundation of building and testing theories. This course
will help you to:
1. Develop an understanding, appreciation, and knowledge of the natural environment.
2. Recognize scientific methods and other approaches to inquiry, as well as communicate
findings and interpretations both orally and written.
3. Cultivate curiosity, critical reasoning, and evaluation skills.
4. Demonstrate knowledge of major issues facing science including ethics, values, and
public policies.
5. Identify and understand differences among major competing scientific theories.
Required Course Materials:
Environment: The Science Behind the Stories (The Pearson Custom Library for
Environmental Science), authors: Withgott and Laposata
(Available at the ASU bookstore)
OR
Environment: The Science Behind the Stories, authors Withgott and Laposata, 5th Ed.
There is no text for lab; information will be found online.
Internet Access and E-mail:
Many assignments and other course material will be on the course website:
angelo.edu/bio1411
Since e-mail will regularly be used for communication in class correspondence in lecture
and lab, you should check your e-mail regularly.
Attendance:
You are expected to attend all lecture and lab periods. Attendance is paramount in earning a
high grade. In lecture, attendance will be taken regularly by turning in a daily in-class
assignment. If you are absent for an assignment or quiz, you will receive a zero; missed in-class
assignments or quizzes may not be made up. After two unexcused absences, any further
absences will result in the loss of two percentage points for each missed day from your final
grade. For example, missing 5 days of class will result in an automatic deduction of 9
percentage points (in addition to any missed assignments or quizzes) from your final grade.
Exams:
There will be a total of 4 exams including a final exam. Each exam will include information
presented in class and from the textbook. Exams will be multiple choice, and include some short
answer questions. The final exam will be comprehensive worth approximately twice the number
of points as the previous exams. No exam grades will be dropped.
There will be no make-up exams given for unexcused absences. If you have a legitimate,
documented excuse, such as a university-sponsored event, severe personal illness, or death in the
family, you must notify me as soon as possible. If you act responsibly, I am willing to work with
you. Missing an exam or failing to notify me immediately will result in a zero for that exam.
Laboratory:
The lab portion will count as 25% of your total grade. There are no tests in the lab section,
but there will be daily quizzes and in-class assignments. Lab attendance is mandatory. Labs
cannot be made up, however the lowest lab grade will be dropped. Refer to the “Lab Section”
page on the class website (angelo.edu/bio1411) for a more complete itinerary and lab
information.
Special Needs
Angelo State University cannot require a student to disclose that they have a
disability. However, if you have a disability that requires special accommodation, you should
contact the Office of Student Life, Room 100 in the Hardeman Building, phone 942-2191. ASU
Faculty have been instructed by the University that “in order to maintain consistency in services
across campus”, we are to provide no accommodation without authorization from the Office of
Student Life.
Religious Holy Day:
A student who intends to observe a religious holy day during the semester should make
that intention known in writing to the instructor during the first week of the semester and one
week prior to the absence. If this submission is completed, a student who is absent from classes
for the observance of a religious holy day shall be allowed to take make up missed exams or
assignments scheduled for that day in accordance with syllabus policy.
Dishonesty:
Angelo State University expects its students to maintain complete honesty and integrity
in their academic pursuits. Students are responsible for understanding the Academic Honor
Code, which is contained in both print and web versions of the Student Handbook. Cheating will
not be tolerated and doing so will result in a zero on the current assignment and may warrant
additional disciplinary action.
Final Grade Calculation:
Your grade in this course will be determined by adding all points earned on your tests,
quizzes, and any other assignments and then dividing this number by the total number of points
possible. This will be your lecture average and it is worth 75% of your course grade. All scores
of your laboratory exercises will be averaged together to determine your lab average. This is
worth 25% of your course grade. The conventional grading scale will be used:
90-100 = A
80-90 = B
70-80 = C
60-70 = D
< 60 = F
Summer II 2015 Tentative Lecture Schedule:
Date
Lecture Topic
Reading Assignment
M July 6
Introduction, Scientific Method
Ch. 1 (pp. 3-20)
T July 7
Physical Systems
Ch. 2 (pp. 25-48)
W July 8
Evolution, Biodiversity
Ch. 3 (pp. 53-67)
R July 9
Population Ecology
Ch. 3 (pp. 67-80)
F July 10
Species Interactions
Ch. 4 (pp. 83-101)
M July 13
FIRST EXAM,
Community Ecology
Ch. 4 (pp. 101-108)
T July 14
Environmental Systems
Ch. 5 (pp. 113-120)
W July 15
Ecosystems Ecology
Ch. 5 (pp.120-139)
R July 16
Biodiversity, Conservation Ecology
Ch. 9 (pp. 237-267)
F July 17
Human Population
Ch. 6 (pp. 143-158)
M July 20
SECOND EXAM,
Human Population
Ch. 6 (pp. 158-166)
T July 21
Freshwater Systems
Ch. 10 (pp. 275-90)
W July 22
Freshwater Resources
Ch. 10 (pp. 290-302)
R July 23
Global Climate Change
Ch. 12 (pp.339-362)
F July 24
Response to Climate Change
Ch. 12 (pp. 363-371)
M July 27
THIRD EXAM,
Fossil Fuels
Ch. 13 (pp. 379-384)
T July 28
Fossil Fuels, Impacts
Ch. 13 (pp. 384-408)
W July 29
Conventional Alternative Energy
Ch. 14 (pp. 415-430)
R July 30
Bioenergy, Alternative Energy
Ch. 14 (pp. 430-440)
F July 31
New Renewable Energy Alternatives
Ch. 15 (pp. 445-471)
M August 3
Agriculture, Biotechnology
Ch. 8 (pp.203-217)
T August 4
Agriculture, Future of Food
Ch. 8 (pp. 217-230)
W August 5
FINAL EXAM
10:00 AM