Biology 436: Animal Behavior
Fall 2009
Syllabus and Schedule
Dr. Chris Hill; Office: Science 127; Phone: 349.2567; email: chill@coastal.edu
Required Text: Alcock J (2009) Animal Behavior, 9th edition. Sinauer Associates, Sunderland,
MA.
Objectives: This course should provide you with a better understanding of the evolutionary basis
of animal behavior. This course also focusses heavily on two processes: the scientific study of
behavior and written communication of results. Through various exercises in lecture and lab, you
will develop your own skills in posing and testing hypotheses, and in evaluating and writing
about results of research, both yours and others’. You can figure out what that means: lots of
reading, plenty of writing, discussions in lecture and conducting your own independent research
in lab. If your preference is for a course where you listen to lectures and are graded simply
on what you remember for tests, you should drop this course immediately.
Grade Determination: Points from lecture and from lab will be combined and you will be
assigned the same grade for both lecture and lab. The points you earn in the lecture portion of this
course will come from quizzes, exams, article critiques, a review paper and class participation.
Quizzes: Two days a week, we will start with a brief quiz on the material we are covering,
including all readings assigned, and any topics covered in preceding lectures or in in-class films.
These quizzes will be short - a definition, a well crafted sentence or two, or a short, well crafted
paragraph will always be enough to answer the question. By my count we have 42 class
meetings. On the days listed on a syllabus as the days we start a chapter, there is no quiz. There
is also one in-class midterm exam. There is no quiz that day. Nor are there quizzes when we
have a scheduled paper discussion. Each of the remaining 23 classes starts with a quiz. You get
to drop your lowest two quiz scores. The rest count for 3 points each. Days there is no quiz you
get 3 points for on-time attendance. The quizzes will be given in the first five minutes of class. If
you arrive too late to take the quiz, that goes as one of your two drops, so don’t arrive late!
Occasionally I will give a comparably brief homework assignment instead of a quiz.
Exams: Two, worth 100 points each. One is a midterm, the other is the final. The final is not
cumulative. Exams will consist of short answer and short essay questions.
Review paper: You will write a review paper, worth 100 pts in total. There is a strict schedule
associated with the review paper (see paper handout). Part of that 100 points comes from
handing in a topic and bibliography on time.
Article Summaries and Critiques: You will summarize and critique three articles for in-class
discussions.
Participation: There will be ample opportunity to ask and answer questions and to discuss
animal behavior in class. Forty points of your grade comes from your participation in class
discussions. This is weighted towards article discussions (see above) but also includes
participating and asking and answering questions during regular lectures.
Attendance: If you are absent from class for a documented, university-excused reason (see the
catalog), you will be able to make up the quiz or get the points if there is no quiz. If you are
absent for any other reason, or are late for class, you do not. If you are going to miss a scheduled
exam, please arrange with me in advance to take it at another time. If you are going to be absent
on the day a written assignment (homework, paper) is due, you can hand it it early (slide it under
my office door if I'm not in).
Late Assignments: All assignments are due at the beginning of class, no later than when you
hand in your quizzes. After that, they’re considered a day late. Late assignments are normally
docked one letter grade (10% of total) per day. I’m always willing to accept them early, though.
Cell phones: please turn the power off on your cell phones before entering the classroom. Cell
phone use is also prohibited during lab, except that if we have a field trip, you may use your
phone while we are driving.
Problems: If you are having any problem with the course or feel dissatisfied with your progrerss,
please come to see me. If your native language is not English or you have a learning disability,
please see me as soon as possible so any necessary arrangements can be made.
Quizzes
Exams
Critiques
Participation
Misc
Review Paper
Total
(40x3) 120
200
30
40
10
100
500
Schedule – Important Dates
Date
Monday, 24 August
Readings due
Chapter 1
Monday, 31 August
Monday, 7 September
Wednesday, 9 September
Wednesday, 16 September
Wednesday, 23 September
Friday, 25 September
Wednesday, 30 September
Wednesday, 7 October
Friday, 9 October
Wednesday, 14 October
Friday, 16 October
Wednesday, 21 October
Friday, 23 October
Wednesday, 28 October
Friday, 30 October
Chapter 2
Labor Day Holiday
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Schwabl article
Chapter 6
Monday, 2 November
Monday, 9 November
Monday, 16 November
23-27 November
Monday, 30 November
Wednesday, 2 December
Wednesday, 9 December
Discussion article 2
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Thanksgiving Holiday
Chapter 14
Discussion article 3
Chapter 7
Chapter 9
Student Holiday
Assignment due
Article critique
MIDTERM EXAM
Paper topic
Chapter 10
Bibliography/Articles
Chapter 11
Annotated bibliography
and outline
Article critique
Review Paper
Article critique
FINAL EXAM 8:30AM