Fall 2014 Honors E-series Courses
Liberal Studies
Area V: Natural Science
Course
Nbr
Section
Nbr
Class
Nbr
Professor
Department
IFS 2040
1
11257
Stephanie Pau
(Geography)
IFS 3044
1
12092
Laura Keller
(Biology)
Course Title
Putting Science
into Action Field
Methods in Plant
Ecology
Living Green
Credit
Hr.
Day/Time/
Room Nbr
3
W
TuTh
11:00-12:15
HSF 2008
MoWe
2:30-3:45
BIO 208
3
W
IFS 2058
Honors E-Series: Putting Science into Action Field Methods in Plant Ecology
Instructors: Stephanie Pau
Website: http://coss.fsu.edu/geography/staff/spau.html
Science does not always involve a white lab coat. The scientific process often begins with making observations
of the natural world. This course addresses scientific research design and field data collection for the natural
sciences through hand-on field labs, with a focus on sampling design and survey methods for plant populations.
The principles covered in this course will address real world environmental problems such as monitoring
endangered species, habitat management for wildlife populations. Opportunities for discussion and interaction
occur during the 8 field labs, where students have the opportunity to apply methods that have been covered in
lectures and readings, and discuss the biases and tradeoffs in different approaches with the instructor and other
students.
IFS 3044
Honors E-series: Living Green: Theory to Action:
Instructor: Laura Keller
Website: http://www.bio.fsu.edu/faculty-kellerl.php
In this seminar, we will explore the very broad topic of "sustainability". Most students probably will enter the
course with some knowledge of global environmental degradation - what fills our landfills, water quality, global
warming, and rainforest defoliation. The class will quickly move from such environmental issues to understanding
the three "e"s of sustainability - ecology, equity, and equality - and to investigating ways to integrate sustainability
into building techniques, infrastructural details, and social structures. The goal is not to persuade students to
recycle, but to help identify what will have to change so that everyone recycles, or so that our ways of life change
to make is less trash in the first place. Grades will be based on two papers, homework assignments, and student
participation in class readings and discussions, Earth Day at FSU, and the design and implementation of a class
project. This course should appeal to non-biologists with interests in sustainability as well as to biologists with a
wide variety of non-biological interests.