NATURAL HISTORY & ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE

Fall 2006

 

Instructor:   Dr. Leslie Seiger lseiger@sdccd.edu Telephone (619) 388-2425 Fax (619) 388-2677   Mailbox in K-202   http://homework.sdmesa.edu/lseiger/

Office Hours:          Mon & Wed 1:30 – 3:00 pm Tue & Thu 10:00 – 11:00 am Thu 4:00 - 5:30 pm     other times by appointment   Office: I-300 room 306

 

BIOL 100 Lecture: Tuesday & Thursday 11:00 am - 12:20 pm in room I-105

 

Lab:  CRN 57185 Tuesday 1:00 pm – 3:40 pm in room I-119

          CRN 57158 Thursday 1:00 pm – 3:40 pm in room I-119

 

Units: 4 units. Letter Grade. Student may petition for Credit/No Credit.

 

Course Advisory: completion of ENGL 051 and ENGL 056, each with a grade of "C" or better, or equivalent, or W5/R5.

 

Catalog Course Description

Lecture topics include basic principles of ecology, the nature of the physical environment, the aquatic environments, the terrestrial environments and population dynamics. This is a community approach, fitting organisms into their proper role in nature. The laboratory is coordinated with lectures emphasizing the plant and animal communities of Southern California. Several field trips will be required, some on the weekend.

 

Course Objectives

The objectives of the course are to introduce the student to

• principles of ecology
• features of major biotic communities
• the natural history of biotic communities and common plants and animals of San Diego County
• key factors influencing local and other biotic communities
• the consequences of human impacts on the natural environment

 

Course Outline And Scope

Topics to be covered are provided in the attached lecture and lab schedules.

 

Field Trip Requirements:

Field trips are a required component of this course. Field trips will be conducted during regularly scheduled lab hours. Transportation to and from the field trip site is the responsibility of the student. Details, directions and instructions of what to wear/bring will be provided before each field trip. Please see “Accommodation of Disability.”

 

Accommodation Of Disability:

Students with disabilities who may need academic accommodations should notify their professor immediately.

Required Textbooks:

 

1. Understanding the Life of Point Loma (2004) by Cabrillo National Monument Foundation paperback ISBN 0-941032-08-6

 

2. The Diversity of Life: from single cells to multicellular organisms (2003) by Snedden paperback ISBN 158810673X

 

3. Other required reading material will be provided by the instructor

 

 

Required Supplies:

 

Laminated Pocket Naturalist Guide: California Seashore Life (2001) by Kavanagh/Leung

ISBN 158355136-0 (available at bookstore)

 

 

Internet Resources:

 

There is a website for this class. Please check it for class updates, handouts and other information. You can access it from my home page or you can find my homepage through the Mesa website’s alphabetical list of faculty/staff.

 

            http://homework.sdmesa.edu/lseiger/

 

 

STUDENT RIGHTS, RESPONSIBILITIES AND ADMINISTRATIVE DUE PROCESS

 

Classroom Behavior And Student Code Of Conduct:

1. Students  are expected  to come to class in a timely manner,  prepared  for the day’s work . Full participation  for the entire class period in activities, class exercises and discussions is required. Please turn off all cell phones, pagers etc.

 

2. It is expected that students will conduct themselves within the standards outlined in the student code of conduct, disciplinary procedure and student due process. Please refer to Policy 3100, which is linked to my website, the Mesa College website, in the current college catalogue, and also at the Office of the Dean of Student Affairs in H-500.

 

3. Disciplinary action will be taken by the instructor as necessary.

 

Attendance:

1. Attendance is required. Students may be dropped from the class for unexcused absences exceeding 6% of the course (5 hours ~ 1 week of class time). Students must be dropped for unexcused absences exceeding 12% of the course (see college catalogue).

 

2. It is the student’s responsibility to make up missed material. This includes, but is not limited to, obtaining missed lecture notes from another student (not from the instructor), and finding out about any modifications of schedules or assignments announced during class time.

 

Tardiness:

Tardiness and early departure are disruptive to the class and will be discouraged. Once you arrive, please remain seated until the lecture is over. The instructor will take steps to discourage tardiness or early departure as necessary.

 

The instructor is NOT required to accommodate students arriving late. If a tardy student comes to class to take a test after another student has already taken the test and left the room, the tardy student cannot take that test. If a student is late for a lab practical, that student will not be allowed into the classroom until the test is over. Once an exam begins there are no bathroom or other breaks. 

 

 

 

Withdrawal:

 

1. It is your responsibility to officially drop the class if you stop attending.
2. You must drop using ClassTalk or other approved procedures.
3. Not doing so will result in a grade of “F.”

 

Please discuss your plans to withdraw from class with me as I may be able to provide options that would allow you to continue the class.

 

 

 

Honest Academic Conduct:

 

Academic dishonesty will result in a grade of zero for the assignment and will be reported to the School Dean and the Disciplinary Officer, and may result in further disciplinary action.

 

·       Academic dishonesty includes cheating (which includes unauthorized collaboration) and plagiarism, as defined in Policy 3100.

·       Written assignments will be required to be submitted online to Turnitin.com.

·      CLASS ID:  1605137 

·      PASSWORD: BIOL100 (case sensitive – must be in CAPS!!!)

 

Please refer to Policy 3100, which is linked to my website, the Mesa College website, in the current college catalogue, and also at the Office of the Dean of Student Affairs in H-500.

 

POLICY 3100                        http://www.sdmesa.edu/instruction/policy/index.html

 

 

Grading Policy:

 

A          90%

B         80%

C         70%

D         60%

 

 

Lecture exams (3 @ 120 points)                                                          360      (71%)

Lab Quizzes (13 @ 10 points, lowest 2 dropped)                                  110      (21%)

TOTAL                                                                                    539

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lecture exams may include multiple choice, true/false, fill-in-the-blank and short answer. There will be three, noncumulative exams each worth 120 points. Refer to item (2) under “Tardiness.” Once an exam begins there are no bathroom or other breaks. 

 

Missed lecture exams will receive a grade of zero.

 

Because legitimate emergencies sometimes arise, there are a very few circumstances in which a lecture exam may be made up. For that to occur, the STUDENT must take full responsibility for meeting ALL of the following requirements. No exceptions will be made.

 

1.You must contact the instructor no later than the day of the exam to make arrangements for a makeup.

 

2. You must provide appropriate written documentation of your reason for requiring a make-up. These documents must be presented at or before the make-up exam is taken and will be filed with your class records.

 

3. Your excuse must be valid and your documentation appropriate in the view of the instructor.

 

4. Makeup lecture exams must be made up during the instructor’s regularly scheduled office hours within 6 calendar days (4 business days) of the scheduled exam date. Makeup exams may consist of any of the following question formats: oral questions, essay questions, or any format used in regular exams. 

 

Lab quizzes will be partly or mostly “practical exams” as explained in lab, and may include multiple choice, true/false, fill-in-the-blank and short answer. There are 13 lab quizzes, each worth 10 points. The lowest two (2) grades will be dropped. Refer to item (2) under “Tardiness.” Once a quiz begins there are no bathroom or other breaks. 

 

Missed lab quizzes will receive a grade of zero.

Lab quizzes can not be made up, but your lowest two (2) grades will be dropped.

 

Worksheets: There is a worksheet due at the end of each lab. There are 15 worksheets, each worth 3 points if completed. Although 3 points may not seem like much, it is worth 8% of your grade – almost a letter grade!

 

Missed worksheets will receive a grade of zero.

Worksheets will not be accepted late.

Worksheets can not be made up, but your lowest 2 grades will be dropped.

 

Extra credit assignments will not be assigned to individuals.