CUR-260 The Natural World
Spring 2012

Website for this page is at:
http://homepages.gac.edu/~mkoomen/cur260/springschedule260.html

 

Date

Topics and Readings Due

Week 1: The Nature of Science
What is science? Observations in the natural world

Tuesday, February  7

Overview of course

Introductions

Thursday, February 9

No formal class: Observation through the Arb

Week 2: The Nature of Science

Tuesday, February  14

Readings due: Skloot: Part 1
Introductory Letter due

Phenology in the ARB (1)

Thursday, February  16

Plant science (1)

Basic of Regional Birds

Science in the news

Week 3: The Nature of Science

Intersection of science, justice, poverty and science advancement/research

Tuesday, February  21

Readings due: Skloot: Part 2, NOS from AAAS

Film: The Way of All Flesh: Henrietta Lacks

Thursday, February 23

Plant Science (2)

Begin Plant Propagation Experiments

Basic of Regional Birds (Birds and Feeder Study)

Week 4: The Nature of Science

Tuesday, February 28

Readings Due: Skloot: Part 3

Guest speaker

Thursday, March 1

Plant Science (3)

Plant Propagation Experiments (ongoing)

Science in the News

Feeder Results: e Bird (Citizen Science)

Week 5: Intersection of Agriculture, Science, Economics and Policy with Food and Nutrition

Tuesday, March 6

Readings due: Nestle: Introduction, Chapters 1-5

Nutrition 101s

Thursday, March 8

Plant propagation experiments: presenting results

Phenology in the Arb: Part 2

 

Week 5: Intersection of Agriculture, Science, Economics and Policy with Food and Nutrition

 

Tuesday, March 13

Readings due: Nestle: Chapters 6-15 and Pollan (Hand out in class: Corn)

Science of Omnivore's: Photosynthesis, Pollination, Nitrogen cycle/fixing, energy transfer in ecosystems

Thursday, March 15

Investigative study foods

Science in the News

Week 7: Intersection of Agriculture, Science, Economics and Policy with Food and Nutrition

Tuesday, March 20

Readings due: Nestle: Introduction, Chapters16-25 and Pollan (Hand out in class: Grass)

Phenology in the ARB (3)

Thursday, March 22

Science of Nutrition

Film: Food Inc.

Week 8: Intersection of Agriculture, Science, Economics and Policy with Food and Nutrition

Tuesday, March 27

Readings due: Nestle: Introduction, Chapters 26 to conclusion (finish book)

Nobel 2010 with Marion Nestle

Thursday, March 29

Science of Nutrition (2)

Results of investigative study

Overview of research paper

Science in the News

Science notebooks due

Spring Break

Week 9: Water in the Natural World
Insect Ecology

Tuesday, April 10

Readings due: A Civil Action (first third)

Science of Water

Begin Insect Ecology and experiments with Danaus plexippus

 

Thursday, April 12

Planning and conducting experimental design

Week 10: Water in the Natural World
Plants of our Regional Natural World
Insect Ecology

Tuesday, April 17

Readings due: A Civil Action (second third)

Water in the world and a natural resource

Thursday, April 19

ARB:  Plants of our regional natural history: Coniferous trees

Survival and the monarch: Adaptations, defense
mechanisms & migration

Watch: Flow outside of class

Week 11: Water in the Natural World
Insect Ecology

Tuesday, April 24

A Civil Action (last third)

Water Conservation: Peter Gleik Nobel 2009

Bringing water together: A Civil Action, Flow and Gleik

Thursday, April 26


Field Trip TBD

 

Week 12: Evolution

Tuesday, May 1

Evolution 101: Readings Distributed in class

Citizen Science: MLMP

Results of monarch experiments

Thursday, May 3

Citizen Science: Worm Watch and Extractions

Adaptations of plants and animals as mechanisms of natural selection

Week 13: Evolution, Natural Selection Global Climate Change

Tuesday, May 8

Evolution and a changing world

Experiment Design due

Thursday, May 10

Arb: Phenology 4

Spring wildflowers; deciduous trees

Science notebooks due

Week 13: Bringing it all together

Tuesday, May 15

Research Presentations Due
Botanical Collections Due

Final Exam: Saturday, May 19, 2012
10:30-12:30pm

 

Updated: February 3, 2012

URL: http://homepages.gac.edu/~mkoomen/cur260/springschedule260.html