1
BIOG 165: Introduction to Ecology
Spring 2012
Lorain County Community College
Tuesday & Thursday from 11 am to 12:15 pm
Instructor: Dr. Ruby Beil
Biography: Beil earned her PhD in Environmental Horticulture from Cornell University.
As Assistant Professor at LCCC, she focuses on curriculum and program development in
Environmental Science. Beil serves as Faculty Liaison for the Environmental Science
Partnership with Bowling Green State University and Program Coordinator for the
Sustainable Agriculture Short-Term Certificate Program, in collaboration with The Ohio
State University Agriculture Technical Institute and the New Agrarian Center.
Office: HS 210 Q Phone: (440) 366-7222 E-mail: rbeil@lorainccc.edu
Office hours: Monday & Wednesday: 11 am – 2:30 pm and Tuesday & Thursday: 1:30
– 3 pm. Meetings can also be arranged by appointment.
Course Description: Introductory course designed for the non-science major covering
the environment and the interaction between human beings and the ecosystem. Course
also addresses the energy, social, and environmental problems associated with this
interaction. Course may include a service learning component. Natural Science Core
Course.
Course Outcomes:
1. Describe various biotic and abiotic components of the environment.
2. Describe the role of humans in global environmental problems.
3. Appraise environmental problems and their proposed solutions.
4. Describe how individuals, homes, and businesses can become more
sustainable.
5. Perform activity to improve community and/or environment.
6. Appraise the value of being an ecologically informed citizen.
7. Take action to promote a healthier environment and individual.
Text: Essential Environment (3rd Edition), by Withgott & Brennan. Loose leaf, bound,
and electronic versions of the text are all available in the bookstore.
ANGEL Website: ANGEL is used frequently throughout this course to share
information, e-mail announcements, and submit assignments. Copies of lecture slides,
the syllabus, and course assignments are always accessible under the LESSONS tab.
When working electronically, please save paper and submit your assignments through the
Electronic Drop Box. Log onto ANGEL at least twice a week to access course
information. ANGEL Log In Instructions: LCCC ID: your student number (without
the leading zeros). Password: your student number OR the last four digits of your social
security number (if you have provided it to LCCC; otherwise, it is 0000) OR whatever
you changed it to on a previous visit to ANGEL. To reset your password, contact
Distance Learning at 366-7582 or distance@lorainccc.edu
2
Grading: Accumulate up to 600 points for an “A”. Every student must complete the
Required portion of the course. Add up these points first, and then pick from the
Elective Points Menu for a total of 600. Do not attempt more than 600 points worth of
assignments. Students may not do more than 1 Service Learning Semester Project, 2
Service Learning Mini Projects, 2 Myth Buster Papers, 5 Chapter Reviews, or 10 Out-ofclass activities total. Make your selections early on, and put your time and effort into
good quality work. It is most important to take your Service Learning Project
seriously and do your best work because your community partner is counting on
you. Putting forth your best effort will go a long way in this course.
 Required: ALL students must take at least two Exams, participate in all the
in-class activities, and complete at least one Service Learning Project (either
Mini or Semester).
1) Choose two: Exam 1, 2, 3, or the Final. 100 pts. each = 200 pts.
2) In-class Activities = 100 pts. total
3) **Service Learning Mini Project – 50 pts.
OR
4) **Service Learning Semester Project – 200 pts.
**All Service Learning Projects are approved on a first come-first served basis.
Select your top three choices. (Approval Forms are posted on ANGEL).
 Elective Points Menu: Tailor the course to your own interests by choosing a
combination that works for you. If you pick the Service Learning Mini
Project, you will choose another 250 points from the following options. If you
choose the Service Learning Semester Project, you only need an additional 100
points from the options below.
1) Remaining Exams = 100 pts. each
A = 540 – 600 pts.
2) Additional Service Learning Mini Project = 50 pts. B = 480 – 539 pts.
3) Out-of-class Activities = 10 pts. each
C = 420 – 479 pts.
4) Chapter Review = 30 pts. each
D = 360 – 419 pts.
5) Ecological Footprint Calculation = 10 pts.
F = below 360 pts.
Having trouble choosing? Below are some example combinations you might consider.
There are many possible combinations. It is your responsibility to choose and participate
in a combination that works best for you and earns you the full 600 points. Please
consult me if needed.
Example selections:
3. All 4 Exams = 400 pts.
1. Exam 1, 2, and 3 = 300 pts.
In-class Activities = 100 pts.
In-class Activities = 100 pts.
2 Service Learning Mini Projects
Service Learning Semester Project = 200 pts.
= 100 pts.
Total = 600 pts.
Total = 600 pts.
2. Exam 1 and 2 = 200 pts.
In-class Activities = 100 pts.
2 Service Learning Mini-projects = 100 pts.
10 Out-of-class Activities = 100 pts.
3 In-depth Chapter Reviews = 90 pts.
Ecological Footprint Calculation = 10 pts. Total = 600 pts.
3
Extra credit:
1. Study Guides for each exam are also posted on ANGEL. Each study guide
completed and turned in on or before the day of the exam is worth up to 5 points extra
credit. Students who re-write their notes using the Study Guide will also perform better
on the Exams, so there are two ways to win when using the Study Guides.
2. Early Incentive Awards: Early submissions are worth points! You have almost the
entire semester to complete your elective menu choices, but waiting until the last minute
can be stressful for you as well as your instructor. Here is an extra incentive to get those
assignments in early. For every week you hand in your assignment early, I will add
one extra credit point to your score. Turning assignments in at the beginning of the
semester is a great way to boost your grade. You can receive an Early Incentive Award
on the first of each type of assignment submitted.
Attendance and Participation: Attendance is essential to your success in this course.
17% of your grade comes directly from In-class Activities (see lecture schedule).
Even though the lecture slides are posted on ANGEL, board work, video clips,
discussion, and detailed explanations are only available if you attend lecture. It is your
responsibility to attend and participate in class as often as possible.
Exams: Attendance is required for the exams you have chosen to take. At least 2 out of
4 are required. Exam questions are a mostly multiple choice and a few short answer.
Use the Study Guide (see ANGEL) to help you prepare. Fill it out, and submit it on
or before exam day for extra credit. Exams 1, 2, and 3 will only include the most
recent lecture material, but the final exam is cumulative and comprehensive. There are
no make-up exams. If you miss an exam, there are many alternative options. Only in
rare cases will I consider a make-up exam, but you must contact me before the exam or
within 24 hours after the exam to discuss your absence and request a make-up. If you
make no attempt to contact me within 24 hours of the scheduled exam, you forfeit
your chance to take that particular exam.
In-class Activities: In-class activities are required for all students. You will be given
assignments to be completed during class time. Some assignments may require pre-class
preparation or additional time to complete. Instructions are posted on ANGEL. Read the
instructions before attending class (see lecture schedule). Attendance on in-class
activity days is required. If you are absent on the day of the activity, you may request a
make-up, but the Information Festivals cannot be completed outside of class time.
Service Learning Projects: Project descriptions are available on ANGEL. Both
Semester (200-point) and Mini (50-point) Projects are designed to address a variety of
community needs through civic engagement and lessons in sustainability. Service
learning is a teaching and learning strategy that combines community service and
classroom instruction. Service learning awards academic credit for learning; focuses on
critical, reflective thinking; and develops a student's sense of civic responsibility. Two
days of project introductions and Community Partner Guest Speakers plus additional
lecture time are devoted to service learning and scheduled throughout the semester (see
Lecture Schedule: Service Learning Work Day – SLWD). A full description of each
4
Semester and Mini Project option is posted on ANGEL along with detailed instructions
for completing each type of Service Learning Project. All students are required to
participate in Service Learning. The minimum commitment is one 50-point Project.
You may also choose a 200-point project for a more in-depth experience with your
Community Partner. Students who are highly motivated to engage in Service Learning
may select up to two 50-point projects OR 1 200-point project and 1 50-point project.
All projects are approved on a first come-first served basis, so provide your top three
choices when you make your selection. When I approve your project, I will provide you
with the contact information you need to take the next step. Decide early in the semester
what kind of experience will work best for you. Consult with me if you need to revise
your plan later on in the semester. Approval forms are due 1/19. Final project
paperwork is due 4/24. Project presentations are scheduled for 4/24 and 4/26.
Out-of-class Activities: Choose up to 10 activities from the list below. Complete the
activity and write a couple paragraphs about each activity. This is your Activity Report,
and it should state the activities you chose and describe what you did. Provide details
about each activity (i.e. type of tree planted, where the planting took place, who was
involved; which organization you joined and why, how did you find out about it; which
“green” business you supported and what makes it “green”; a short summary or copy of
the letter you wrote, why you wrote it; who did you convince to recycle, kinds of
materials recycled; etc.). Activity Reports are due 4/26. You will receive 10 points
for each activity described in your report. If you choose option #12 (creative work),
you will also be expected to share your creation with the class on the Presentation Days
at the end of the semester. Please let me know ahead of time if you plan share your
creative work with the class.
Activity choices:
1. Plant a tree or start a garden.
2. Clean up litter in your neighborhood.
3. Join the new Student Life Gardening Club.
4. Start recycling, or if you already do, convince a friend to start recycling.
5. Support a “green” business or local farmer.
6. Become a vegetarian for at least a week, or if you already are, convince a
friend.
7. Stop smoking for at least a week, or if you already have, convince a friend.
8. Write a letter about an environmental concern to a government official.
9. Join an environmental organization online.
10. Attend a city council meeting – meeting agenda must include an
environmental issue.
11. Visit a science/natural history museum, botanical gardens, metro-park, or zoo.
Earn 5 additional points if one or more children are able to join you.
12. Create a piece of artwork, a performance or dance piece; a poem, song, or
short story with an environmental theme. Worth 5 points alone. Share your
creation with the class for an additional 5 points.
13. Other? (requires instructor approval)
5
Chapter Review: Due to the broad scope of this introductory course and time
limitations, not all chapters will be covered during lecture. You may investigate these
chapters as independent study. A full description of this assignment is posted on
ANGEL. Each student may complete up to 5 Chapter Reviews. Due: 4/19.
Ecological Footprint Calculation: This is a quick and simple one-time assignment with
instructions posted on ANGEL. Students will access an online calculator, enter truthful
data about their lives, and submit their results and interpretation. Due: 4/19.
Late Assignments: One point will be subtracted for each day an assignment is late.
After one week, I reserve the right to reject the late assignment. No late assignments
will be accepted after 4/27. This is the last day of class, and there are no exceptions.
If you fall behind, please see me right away to discuss your situation. Because most of
the assignments are due at the end of the semester, this policy primarily applies to Inclass Activities that require additional time to complete.
Tips for Student Success:
 WORK TOGETHER, BUT DO YOUR OWN WORK. Students are encouraged
to work together to study, solve problems, and develop questions; however, all
written assignments must be submitted individually. Anything copied from
another student or other sources of information is considered cheating. Copying
and pasting information from websites is plagiarism. Exceptions include
approved group projects. Cheating will not be tolerated. You will receive a zero
on any test or assignment that involves cheating.
 ASK QUESTIONS. Anytime you are confused about something, please raise
your hand and ask me. Also feel free to come to my office hours, e-mail or call
me with your question. E-mail me directly: rbeil@lorainccc.edu on weekends for
faster response time. I am here to help you.
 GET INVOLVED AND PAY ATTENTION. Please come to class and get
involved. Please turn off all pagers and cell phones before entering the classroom
and refrain from disruptive conversations. Background noise is very distracting
to me as well as other students in the class.
 GET EXTRA HELP. Mentor tutoring is available from the Tutoring Services
Center in the library. Seek assistance early so you don’t fall behind.
 ALLOW TIME FOR STUDYING. The lack of quality study time is the number
one reason for poor academic performance. Try to spend some time each day
reviewing your notes, reading the text, and working on the Study Guide.
 TEST YOUR UNDERSTANDING BEFORE THE EXAM. Learning this
material requires a “big picture” approach, more than just memorization. Practice
putting the concepts in your own words. Use the Study Guide to prepare.
Answer the Comprehension Questions on your own before the exam, and ask
for feedback to make sure you’re on the right track.
 SPECIAL NEEDS. Please notify me at the beginning of the semester if you are a
special needs student, and I will gladly make every effort recommended by the
Office of Special Needs to accommodate you.
6

WITHDRAWALS. If all else fails, withdrawing from the course is allowed until
the end of the twelfth week of classes. Friday, April 6th is the last day to
withdraw from full-term courses. It is the student’s responsibility to initiate the
withdrawal. Please do not drop the course without communicating with me
first. You may be doing better than you think you are.
Lecture Schedule:
Note: This schedule is subject to change at the discretion of the instructor. Changes
will be announced in lecture and e-mailed to your ANGEL e-mail.
Date
1/10
Lecture Topic
Text Reference
Introduction to Ecology, Campus Sustainability, and
Service Learning (SL) – Community Partner Guest Speakers
1/12
More on Service Learning (SL) – Community Partner Guest Speakers
1/17
An Introduction to Environmental Science
Evolution and Biodiversity
1/19
Evolution and Biodiversity (cont.)
Chapters 4 & 8
Due: Service Learning Project APPROVAL Form
1/24
Species Interactions and Community Ecology
1/26
Service Learning Work Day (SLWD)
1/31
Species Interactions (cont.)
2/2
Species Interactions (cont.)
Chapter 5
In-class activity – Mutual Symbiosis of the Lichen (20 points)
2/7
Population Growth
2/9
Population Growth (cont.)
In-class activity – Information Festival (10 points)
2/14
EXAM 1: Chapters 1, 4, 5, 6, and 8 (parts)
2/16
SLWD
Environmental Systems and Ecosystems:
Chemistry, Energy, and Ecosystems
Chapter 3
Environmental Systems (cont.)
Environmental Economics and Policy
Chapter 3
Chapter 2
2/21
Chapter 1
Chapters 4 & 8
Chapter 5
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
7
Date
2/23
Lecture Topic
Environmental Economics and Policy (cont.)
Text Reference
Chapter 2
2/28
Environmental Economics and Policy (cont.)
Chapter 2
In-class activity – The Dollar Value of a Healthy Ecosystem (20 points)
3/1
Soil, Agriculture, and Food (cont.)
3/6
Spring Break – no class
3/8
Spring Break – no class
3/13
Soil, Agriculture, and Food (cont.)
3/15
Soil, Agriculture, and Food (cont.)
Chapter 7
In-class activity – Genetically Modified Foods Debate (30 points)
3/20
SLWD
In-class activity – Information Festival (10 points)
3/22
EXAM 2: Chapters 2, 3, and 7
3/27
Cities, Forests, and Parks – Urbanization
Chapter 9
3/29
Cities, Forests, and Parks (cont.)
Chapter 9
4/3
Renewable Energy
Chapter 16
4/5
Renewable Energy (cont.)
Waste Management
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
4/10
Waste Management (cont.)
Chapter 17
4/12
FLEX Day – This is an extra day for T/TR classes.
4/17
SLWD
In-class activity – Information Festival (10 points)
4/19
EXAM 3: Chapters 9, 16, and 17
Due: Chapter Reviews, & Ecological Footprint Calculations
4/24
Service Learning Presentations – Due: Service Learning Projects
4/26
Service Learning Presentations – Due: Out-of-Class Activity Reports
5/3
FINAL EXAM (Cumulative) on Thursday, 10 – 11:50 am
Chapter 7
Chapter 7