Zool 4420 – Invertebrate Zoology I Fall 2008

Dr. Pamela Roe

NH 277

(209) 667-3484

My home page at: http://science.csustan.edu/pam/

Bio. Dept. info at: http://biology.csustan.edu/

INTRODUCTORY COURSE INFORMATION

INTRODUCTION:

Invertebrates comprise at least 95% of all known animals. From their numbers and diversity alone, it is obvious that invertebrates are incredibly important. They are food for humans and other animals, they cause disease, they pollinate most of the plants we need and use, they affect global climate, some are important with respect to medicine, etc. All people, but especially biologists, need to have a good working knowledge of invertebrates.

MY PHILOSOPHY AND GOALS FOR THIS COURSE:

My philosophy about teaching is that I want to share as much knowledge and understanding of the subject with students as possible. I also believe it is my job as instructor to challenge people. I want you to learn course materials because I care about you. I firmly believe that the more people know, the happier they can be, and the more they can appreciate and enjoy the world around them. I want students to be thoroughly involved in my courses and in their education in general. The more people put into something the more they get out of it; therefore, I expect this class to be high on your priority list, and I expect you to put in plenty of quality time and effort on it. Likewise, I will spend much effort in trying to make the course a valuable experience for you.

My goal for this course is that all participants learn about and come to appreciate some of the invertebrate groups. In more detail, this involves learning names and classification, biology, and importance of the invertebrates we cover this semester, as well as learning overarching concepts about taxonomy/systematics, development patterns, body cavities, functional morphology, etc. We will cover some invertebrate phyla this semester, and additional phyla during spring semester.

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

Invertebrate Zoology I is a senior-level animal diversity course. It is a 4-unit lecture and laboratory course, with 2 lecture and 2 lab periods per week. It satisfies the Biology degree diversity requirement, is an elective in Biology, is an option in the Zoology concentration, is an option in the Ecology and Field Biology concentration, and is a requirement for the Marine Biology concentration. Prerequisites: 3 college-level biology courses including Zoology 1050, or consent of instructor. Lecture = Tues. and Thurs. 1:25-2:23, Lab = Tues. and Thurs. 2:30-5:38. This course is the first part of the 2-course invertebrate sequence. Both courses (ZOOL 4420 and ZOOL 4430) are required for the Marine Biology concentration. Otherwise, although it is best to take both courses, either course is independent of the other.

SPECIFIC COURSE OBJECTIVES, i.e., WHAT SHOULD YOU BE LEARNING?

1. This is a content-heavy course; the primary learning objective is therefore mainly to learn course content. You need to learn thoroughly the information presented in lecture and lab about invertebrates, including being able to synthesize, organize and summarize such information into coherent thought processes. You need to be able to correlate what you see in lab with lecture materials. Texts (Ruppert, Fox & Barnes; and the “Supplementary Materials” course pack from University Bookstore) are primarily for background reading and pictures/diagrams, unless it is noted that you especially need to know specific pages. You need to bring both of your texts to class every day.

2. A second learning objective is for you to learn to access some of the invertebrate literature, organize information in depth, and effectively communicate such information.

ASSESSMENT METHODS, GRADES and GRADING:

1. The best assessment measure for content-heavy courses is exams. Most of your grade will be based on lecture exams and lab quizzes.

2. The assessment measure for learning objective #2 is your oral presentation and written report.

3. Graduate students taking this (or any other 4000-level course) are supposed to have additional assignment(s). In the case of ZOOL 4420, the extra assignment will be a short oral and written report for most phyla we cover, in which at least one reason why a member(s) of the phylum is/are important (ultimately) to humans.

Grades: A – F; Cr/Nc is not an option in this course. The course is graded +/-.

A = 90% or higher (90-92 = A-, 93 and above = A)

B = 80 – 89% (80-82 = B-, 83-86 = B, 87-89 = B+)

C = 70 – 79% (70-72 = C-, 73-76 = C, 77=79 = C+)

D = 60 – 69% (60-62 = D-, 63-66 = D, 67-69 = D+)

F = below 60%

I do not use a curve.

Grades based on:

Lecture Exams 300 pts

Lab Exams (66-68 pts each) 200 pts

Oral/written report 50 pts (may or may not do this)

Additional exercises up to 50 pts (for everyone, not just grad students)

Lab notebook (optional)* up to 10% extra credit*

Grad student extras grading to be determined; separate from the above

Any homework or extra credit must be turned in on the day and time it is due. Under normal circumstances no extra credit will be accepted after the due date. Ten percent per day (counting weekends and holidays) will normally be subtracted from homework turned in late. Unless homework assignments have staggered due dates, late homework assignments will not be accepted after that graded assignment has been returned to the class.

You can figure your grade percentage at any time during the semester, except for the extra credit lab notebook, by dividing your total points by the total possible points at that date.

Grading of lab notebook: The way I grade lab notebooks is to give up to 5% for the number of drawings and up to 5% for labeling of each drawing. The number of drawings is a competition. I count the number of drawings for each student and record the number. Then I group notebooks into categories, with the group having the highest number receiving 5%, next lowest group getting 4%, etc. As I count your pictures, I also get a general impression of how well you have labeled each picture. Labeling (i.e., lots of labeling, and labeling of every picture), is worth 5%. If I see several pictures without labeling, or only one-to-few labels/picture, you will get less than 5%. Labeling means: give the whole picture a label. Also name/label all the pertinent parts of the picture. The best labels will be of those parts that help you to identify the organism, parts in a cross section, etc., i.e., diagnostic characteristics and parts. This kind of labeling makes your lab notebook an excellent study guide, will make you realize you need to ask questions while you are drawing pictures during lab, and makes you go slow enough while drawing that you remember the drawing/organism, better. I don’t give points for ability to draw, or for copies of pictures from other sources; it is the act of doing the drawing and labeling yourself that I think is valuable.

* At the prerogative of the instructor, non-compliance with field trip regulations or topics under Expectations of Students may result in partial or total loss of the extra credit option.

EXPECTATIONS OF STUDENTS

1. As a general philosophy, you should attend all class meetings. If you must miss a class meeting, it is your responsibility to make up any work missed and to obtain and learn all information you missed.

2. Be on time to class and stay in lab until it is supposed to be over. Lecture starts at 1:25pm. Lab starts at 2:30pm and ends at 5:38pm.

3. Observe lab safety and cleanliness procedures. This includes NO eating or drinking, or even having water or other beverage containers, full or empty, in the lab room, with the possible exception of completely closed containers stored in closed backpacks, and not visible to anyone in the room. The same goes for food, candy, gum, etc.

4. Participate fully and in a positive manner in all class activities.

5. Students are expected to take exams on days and times listed in the class schedule. There are NO alternatives for lab exams. If you have a legitimate excuse to miss an exam, the instructor needs to know the reason, in writing, at least a week before the exam date. Arrangements for taking the exam at another time must be made at the time of the written request. If you have an emergency less than a week before an exam, you must let the instructor know of the emergency prior to the exam time if possible. You must provide a valid, written excuse on or before the next class period after the exam date, in order to be able to take the exam at an alternate time. If the emergency lasts beyond the next class period after the exam, you must at least let the instructor know about the situation, and you must bring valid, written excuse as soon as you return to school. The instructor will determine the appropriateness of taking the missed exam in this case. Normally, exams cannot be taken after the instructor has returned graded exams to the rest of the class. For the most part, lab and lecture exams are on the same days.

6. Cheating in any form is unacceptable in science, including in all biology classes. It is the policy of the Department of Biological Sciences that anyone caught cheating will receive a grade of F for the course. The instructor reserves the right to request any student even suspected of cheating to take a second, different, exam from the rest of the class. Cell phones, PDA's, palms, laptops, etc. must be turned off, and must be placed out of sight of any student in the class, during all lecture and lab exams. No caps or hats may be worn during exams. Potty breaks are not allowed during exams.

7. Talking, whispering and giggling among students during lectures is disruptive for both classmates and the instructor. It is expected that students will refrain from these activities while anyone is lecturing at any time during lecture or lab time. If this becomes a problem, students will be asked to leave class for the duration of these activities.

8. The field trip regulations (on separate pages from this introductory information) that do not specifically pertain to being in vehicles pertain to all parts of class, i.e., lecture and lab as well as field trips. These are not limited to, but especially include numbers 4, 7, and 8 of the Department of Biological Sciences Field Trip Regulations and number 2 of the CSU Stanislaus Field Trip liability Waiver.

9. Cell phones, pagers, Ipods, and any other item other than laptop computers, electronic or otherwise, must be turned off while anyone is lecturing at any time during lecture or lab time. Cell phones, pagers, I-pods, laptops, etc. must be turned off, and must be placed out of sight or hearing of any student in the class, during all exams, and all of these items except laptops must be turned off and placed out of sight or hearing during ALL class times. Laptops that are on during lectures may only be used to write lecture notes or otherwise legitimate activities specifically approved by the instructor and related to the course and the topic at hand. If you want to use your laptop to write lecture notes, you must ask the instructor for ok, beforehand. If any laptop is used for web browsing, studying for other classes, etc. during class, that student may not use his/her laptop during later class periods of this course.

10. Because some students manage to obtain exams from students who took a prior version of a course, exam questions in this semester’s course will be different from those of prior courses; and the instructor will let you see your graded exams, but will collect all exams before anyone leaves the classroom, on the day exams are returned to students.

11. If a student has any issue with the instructor or the course or other students, it is expected that the student will discuss the problem with the instructor, prior to discussing the issue with classmates.

12. People learn best when they take responsibility for their own learning. You need to accept that responsibility.

EXPECTATIONS OF THE INSTRUCTOR

1. Numbers 1 – 12 above.

2. Be open to feedback on the course and be flexible in order to make appropriate changes to meet student needs.

3. Be fair in assessment of student learning.

It is my hope and expectation that we will all work together to make this course an outstanding experience for all involved.

ZOOL 4420 – Invertebrate Zoology Fall 2008

Dr Pamela Roe, NH 277, (209)667-3484

http://science.csustan.edu/pam/

LECTURE, LABORATORY AND READING SCHEDULE

Pages listed are from Ruppert, Fox & Barnes.

Date		Lecture	Laboratory
Sept.	4	Introduction, Protozoa; 11-57	Microscopes, Protozoa; 22-57
	9	Protozoa, 11-57	Protozoa, 22-57
	11	Porifera, Placozoa; 58-75, 76-97	Porifera, Placozoa;76-97
	16	Cnidaria; 98-110, 111-122	Cnidaria introduction, 111-122; Phylogeny, 1-10
	18	Anthozoa, coral reefs; 124-148	Anthozoa, coral reefs; 124-148
	23	Scyphozoa, 148-156	Scyphozoa, 148-156
	25	Hydrozoa, 156-176	Hydrozoa, 156-174
	27	Field Trip-Monterey Bay Aquarium
	30	Ctenophora, 181-195	Ctenophora, 181-195
Oct.	2	Bilateral Animals, 196-224	Dicyemida, Orthonectida; 263-269
	7	LECTURE EXAM I (thru ctenophores)	LAB EXAM I (through Orthonectida)
	9	Platyhelminthes, 225-262	Platyhelminthes, 225-262
	14	Platyhelminthes, 225-262	Platyhelminthes, 225-262
	16	Nemertea, 270-282	Nemertea, 270-282
	21	Nematoda, 757-769	Nematoda, 757-769
	23	Syndermata (esp. Rotifers), 788-803	Rotifers, 788-803; etc.
	28	Other Gnathifera & Cycloneuralia	Other Gnathifera & Cycloneuralia
	30	LECTURE EXAM II (Bilateria-Cyclo's)	LAB EXAM II (Platys-Cyclo's)
Nov.	4	Echinodermata, 872-889	Echinoderm development; 874-876, 216-221
	6	Asteroidea, Ophiuroidea, Crinoidea; 876-889, 890-896, 917-924	Asteroidea, Ophiuroidea, Crinoidea; 876-889, 890-896, 917-924
	11	Holiday (Veterans Day)
	13	Echinoidea, Holothuroidea; 896-917	Echinoidea, Holothuroidea; 896-917
	18	Chaetognatha, 850-856	Chaetognatha, 850-856
	20	Hemichordata, 858-870	Hemichordata, 858-870
	25	Urochordata; 930-932, 940-963	Urochordata, 940-956
	27	Thanksgiving Holiday
Dec.	2	Kamptozoa, Cycliophora; 807-815	Kamptozoa, (Cycliophora); 807-815
	4	Lophophorates - Bryozoa; 817, 829-845	Bryozoa, 829-845
	9	Lophophorates - Phoronida, Brachiopoda; 817-829	Phoronida, Brachiopoda; 817-829
	11		LAB EXAM III (echinoderms-end)
	16	LECTURE EXAM III (Echinoderm-end)

Lecture and lab exams III will be during finals week. Lab exam III is Thursday, Dec.11, 2-4pm. Lab notebooks are due at the beginning of Lab Exam III, 2pm Thursday, Dec. 11. Lecture exam III is Tuesday, Dec. 16, 11:15-1:15. Or, if everyone in class agrees, lecture exam can be on Dec. 11 or on Reading Day, Wed. Dec. 10.

Field trip date(s):

Sept. 27 – Monterey Bay Aquarium, Floats

POSSIBLY – Nov. 15 -- Monterey Yacht Harbor for tunicates and bryozoans

Note: I respond to office visits, talking to students in person and talking over the phone (but not phone calls in the middle of the night before an exam, field trip, etc., that says “Please call me back” much better than via email. Please do not expect email answers to questions from me. Also, please do not leave an email saying you will be late, can’t go on a field trip, etc., at the last minute. Your message will almost certainly not be read until after the field trip/class session, etc. is over.

Another Note: Dr. Terry Jones in the Biology Department at CSU Stanislaus has information on his web page regarding taking lecture notes and learning by listening. This information might be of help to some students. http://arnica.csustan.edu/jones/courses/learning/index.htm Click on all three headings.