UPDATED Dec. 16, 2008
HONR 289C History of Evolutionary Though
CORE Distributive Studies Courses Life Sciences (non-lab)
Monday/Wednesday, 10:00-11:15 am, Rm. 2249 Biology-Psychology
Dr. Michele Dudash, Department of Biology
The goal of this class is to introduce students to the writings of Alfred Wallace
and others who influenced Charles Darwin and his understanding of the
mechanisms underlying the evolutionary process. In the first portion of the course
students will be introduced to the many scientists that laid the ground work for
Darwin and the basic concepts in evolutionary biology. The second portion of the
class will explore the writings of Alfred Wallace, the co-founder along with
Charles Darwin of the idea of natural selection. In the final portion of the class
students will be presenting talks based on a major contributor or an idea they
have been exploring in depth during the semester via class discussions, writing
assignments, and independent investigations.
Grading: Honors 289C is assessed on an A-F scale based on a total 510 points.
1) Oral Participation (85 points) – via role as discussion leader (30pts) and
participant (55 pts)
2) Mid- term Exam (85 points)
3) Second Exam (95 points)
4) BioSciences Day - 300 word report on participation (25 points)
5) Kitzmiller Decision quiz – Mon Nov. 10 2008 (25 pts)
6) Individual Power Point Presentations (First = 15 + Second = 50 = 65 points)
7) First research paper (35 points = draft (10) and final (25)
8) Final Research Paper: (total of 95 points) with SEVEN references minimum,
1900-2000 WORDS MAXIMUM
Rough Draft #1 (20 points) ~ Outline of research topic and develop
paragraph goals
Rough Draft #2 (30 points) ~ full draft development
Final Paper (45 points) ~ refinement of research topic
Honor’s Program Web Site: www.honors.umd.edu/
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Office Hours by appointment: Please email Dr. Dudash:
mdudash@umd.edu 3202 BioPsych Building; Phone: 301-405-1642
HONR 289C History of Evolutionary Thought
Planned Selected Readings:
1)
Wallace A. R. 1855. On the law which has regulated the introduction of
new species. In Annals and Magazine of Natural History 2nd volume 16:
184-196.
http://www.wku.edu/~smithch/wallace/S020.htm
2)
Wallace A. R.1856. On the Habits of the Orang-Utan of Borneo. In Annals
& Magazine of Natural History volume 18 Series 2: 26-32.
http://www.wku.edu/~smithch/wallace/S026.htm
3)
Wallace A. R.1856. Attempts at a Natural Arrangement
of Birds. In Annals & Magazine of Natural History Number 105: 193-216.
http://www.wku.edu/~smithch/wallace/S028.htm
4)
Wallace A. R.1857. On the Natural History of the Aru Islands. In Annals &
Magazine of Natural History XLV 473-485.
http://www.wku.edu/~smithch/wallace/S038.htm
Wallace A. R. 1863. On the physical geography of the Malay Archipelago.
Journal of Geography.
http://www.wku.edu/~smithch/wallace/S078.htm
5)
Wallace A. R.1858. Note on the Theory of Permanent and Geographical
Varieties. The Zoologist volume 16: 5887-5888.
http://www.wku.edu/~smithch/wallace/S039.htm
6)
Wallace A. R. 1858. On the tendency of varieties to depart indefinitely
from the original type. Proceedings of the Linnaean Society of London 3:
53-62
http://www.wku.edu/~smithch/wallace/S043.htm
7)
Wallace A. R. 1865. Mr. Wallace on the phenomena of variation and
geographical distribution as illustrated by the Malayan Papilionidæ
http://www.wku.edu/~smithch/wallace/S096.htm
8)
Wallace A. R. 1866. Natural Selection. The Athenæum
http://www.wku.edu/~smithch/wallace/S123.htm
NEW POLICY: If you miss class from today onward (Nov. 3), I now expect a one
page summary of the reading that you missed for that day. This should be
handed in at the next class.
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9)
Wallace A. R. 1866. What are species and what is meant by their origin. In
Darwinism. Preface and Chapters 1 (9a) and 2 (9b).
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/14558/14558.txt
10)
20 Dec. 2005 decision of US Federal Judge Jones decision on Kitzviller et
al. v. Dover Area School Board. (Pdf provided on web site)
11)
The Wedge Document, Discovery Institute
http://www.antievolution.org/features/wedge.pdf
Anti-wedge document (pdf provided on web site) and Poll activity
Fall 2008 Syllabus
Dr. Michele Dudash
History of Evolutionary Thought Honor’s Seminar
HONR 289C 10-11:15, Mondays and Wednesdays, Math Building, room 0405
Sept. 3 – Class introductions and class overview/goals
Sept. 8 – Lecture 1
Sept. 10 - Lecture 2
Sept. 15 – Lecture 3
Sept. 17 – Lecture 4 (Class presentations begin)
Sept. 22 – Lecture 5 (Class presentations)
Sept. 24 – (Class presentations) – Outline Assign. #1 due
Sept. 29 – Reading Assign 1 discussion - Outlines returned
Oct. 1 – Reading Assign 2 discussion
Oct. 6 – Reading Assign 3 discussion; (Written Class Assignment #1 due)
Oct. 8 - Reading Assign 4a discussion cont.
Oct. 13 – IN CLASS written examination #1
Oct. 15- Reading 4b discussion
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Oct. 20 – Reading 5 discussion
Oct. 22 – Reading 6 discussion Topics due today!
Oct. 27 – Reading 7 discussion
Oct. 29 – Reading 8 discussion
Nov. 3 - Reading 9 discussion
Nov. 5 – Reading 9 discussion
Final Paper Outline due - exploration of research topic
Nov. 10 – Reading 10 discussion with Poll assignment
Nov. 12 – Biosciences Day with written assignment
Nov. 17 – Reading 10
Nov. 19 – Reading 10 and 11 discussion- Final Paper Rough Draft #2 due
Nov. 24 – Reading 11 and POLL discussion and IN Class preparation time for
presentation - draft #2 returned
Nov. 26 – Thanksgiving – no class WED.
Dec. 1 – Presentations
Dec. 3 – Presentations
Dec. 8 - Presentations
Dec. 10 – IN CLASS written examination #2
Dec. 15- FINAL PAPER DUE
CORE Distributive Studies Courses:
CORE-General Education has both broad learning outcomes for the program as a
whole and outcomes for each of the different CORE Distributive Studies categories. To
see the Student Learning Outcomes for CORE, please visit:
http://www.ugst.umd.edu/core/LearningOutcome.htm. No one CORE course will
address all of the Learning Outcome Goals listed for its category. Some courses may
contribute to general education in important ways not directly covered by the learning
outcomes listed.
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• Academic Accommodations: If you have a documented disability, you should
contact Disability Support Services 0126 Shoemaker Hall. Each semester students
with documented disabilities should apply to DSS for accommodation request forms
which you can provide to your professors as proof of your eligibility for
accommodations. The rules for eligibility and the types of accommodations a
student may request can be reviewed on the DSS web site at
http://www.counseling.umd.edu/DSS/receiving_serv.html.
• Religious Observances: The University System of Maryland policy provides that
students should not be penalized because of observances of their religious beliefs,
students shall be given an opportunity, whenever feasible, to make up within a
reasonable time any academic assignment that is missed due to individual
participation in religious observances. It is the responsibility of the student to inform
the instructor of any intended absences for religious observances in advance.
Notice should be provided as soon as possible but no later than the end of the
schedule adjustment period. Faculty should further remind students that prior
notification is especially important in connection with final exams, since failure to
reschedule a final exam before the conclusion of the final examination period may
result in loss of credits during the semester. The problem is especially likely to arise
when final exams are scheduled on Saturdays.
• Academic integrity: The University of Maryland has a nationally recognized
Code of Academic Integrity, administered by the Student Honor Council. This Code
sets standards for academic integrity at Maryland for all undergraduate and graduate
students. As a student you are responsible for upholding these standards for this
course. It is very important for you to be aware of the consequences of cheating,
fabrication, facilitation, and plagiarism. For more information on the Code of
Academic Integrity or the Student Honor Council, please visit
http://www.studenthonorcouncil.umd.edu/whatis.html
The University of Maryland is one of a small number of universities with a
student-administered Honors Code and an Honors Pledge, available on the web at
http://www.jpo.umd.edu/aca/honorpledge.html. The code prohibits students from
cheating on exams, plagiarizing papers, submitting the same paper for credit in two
courses without authorization, buying papers, submitting fraudulent documents, and
forging signatures. The University Senate encourages instructors to ask students to
write the following signed statement on each examination or assignment: "I pledge
on my honor that I have not given or received any unauthorized assistance on this
examination (or assignment).”
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University’s Code of Academic Integrity: http://www.jpo.umd.edu
Honor Pledge
1. On every examination, paper or other academic exercise not specifically exempted by the
instructor, the student shall write by hand and sign the following pledge:
I pledge on my honor that I have not given or received any unauthorized
assistance on this examination.
Failure to sign the pledge is not an honors offense, but neither is it a defense in case of
violation of this Code. Students who do not sign the pledge will be given the opportunity
to do so. Refusal to sign must be explained to the instructor. Signing or non-signing of the
pledge will not be considered in grading or judicial procedures. Material submitted
electronically should contain the pledge; submission implies signing the pledge.
2. On examinations, no assistance is authorized unless given by or expressly allowed by
the instructor. On other assignments, the pledge means that the assignment has been
done without academic dishonesty, as defined above.
3. The pledge is a reminder that at the University of Maryland students carry primary
responsibility for academic integrity because the meaningfulness of their degrees
depends on it.
This CORE Distributive Studies Courses Life Sciences (non-lab) designation is
appropriate for HONH 289c because we will be reading papers by Alfred Wallace
and discussing how he and others influenced Darwin and his understand of
evolution through the process of natural selection.
The students will have opportunities to develop an idea throughout the
course of the semester based on lecture, discussion and reading assignments.
My goal is to allow them to develop an idea, opinion, an investigation about a
topic that excites them and to literally watch it mature throughout the semester
with the opportunity for two rough drafts before the final paper is due prior to
Thanksgiving. The formal oral presentation complements the paper topic and
allows the students to present their ideas in a concise 12 minute format with a
question session following each talk. I expect that the question period will lead to
a lively discussion of ideas since we will be a knowledgeable audience. The oral
presentation also allows the students to master their power point skills early in
their academic career.
The mid-term and final exams will follow an essay format to allow the students to
synthesize ideas presented in the lecture portion of the class. I will also be asking
questions about the readings we discussed in class. The topics in all of the
assignments will be quite broad in scope including a historical perspective,
species diversity, speciation, sexual selection, systematics, and evidence for
evolution from geology, development, and natural history observations.
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