Syllabus for Biology and Society (BIOL 105-701) [ and Human Society] Salisbury University, Spring 2015

This course is designed to acquaint non-majors with the diversity of insects and how they affect human society. We will examine several topics including Forensic entomology, pollination, consumption of insects, insects in mythology, cultural entomology, and vectored diseases. Pre- requisite of Biology 101 is required. Meets General Education IVB (Prior to Fall 2008: IIIB).

Online Delivery of Content The course content for this class is delivered 100% online via MyClasses [http://myclasses.salisbury.edu]. All learning assessments (quizzes) are online. You will be expected to learn much of the material on your own, be responsible for meeting quiz, discussion, and assignment deadlines, and required to discuss issues online. Good time management skills and a healthy dose of self-motivation are required for taking online courses.

Instructor Information Professor D.L. Price, PhD Email: [email protected] Henson Science Hall, room 234 If you want to ask me a question, send me an email or post it to our online class discussion, if appropriate and useful to other students.

Required book “Wicked Bugs: The that Conquered Napoleon’s Army & Other Diabolical Insects”. Author Amy Stewart. 2011. Link to book on Amazon.com. New Hardcover Book Price: $14.87.

Computer Requirements The following webpage [http://www.salisbury.edu/instructionaldesign/cms/Students.html] provides tutorials with step-by-step instructions for using MyClasses and all of the components that you will use during this semester. Please do a “Browser Check” to make sure that you have all of the needed programs on your computer.

High-speed internet access and Microsoft PowerPoint and Word software is required. Tablet and cell phone apps for Blackboard are available and can be useful. The latest version of Shockwave, RealPlayer, Macromedia Flash Player will be required. Most of these "plug-ins" are available here. Shockwave/Flash players can be obtained from macromedia.com. If a video or animation doesn't work, check to see if you have the latest version of plug-in software. Set your browsers popup blocker AND your Security (Tools/internet options/security/trusted sites/sites) to accept all popups and downloads from MyClasses. For all technical problems, please contact the SU Helpdesk.

Learning Modules There will be 13 modules over the 14-week semester (see schedule below). Modules include online discussions, PowerPoint slides, textbook readings, videos links, animations, and additional posted readings. Each module will conclude with a timed, online quiz. It is imperative that you keep up with the work required in these modules and take the quiz for that module before its due date. All due dates are listed in the Course Calendar.

Module Topics and Schedule Week Mod Topic Chapter(s) Jan. 26 1 Introduction to IHS XI (Warning), Blog Activity 1 80 (Have no fear), 85 (Cockroach) Feb. 2 2 Insects and Their Creepy Crawly 43 (Black Widow), Relatives ( Diversity) 69 (Brown Recluse), 145 (Giant Centipede), 155 (Millipede) Feb. 9 3 Beneficial Insects, Insect Appreciation 241 (Zombies) 9 (Asian Giant Hornet) Feb. 16 4 Insects and Scientific Studies 4 (She’s Just Not That Into You)

Feb. 23 5 EXAM I Monday February 23 125 (I’ve Got You Under My Skin), Transgenic Technologies 151 (Med. Fruit ), Discussion 199 (Phylloxera) Mar. 2 6 The worms crawl in, the worms crawl out 192 (Corpse-Eaters), (Forensic Entomology) 209 (Fear No Weevils) Mar. 9 7 Insects and History 77 (Chigoe Flea), (Symbols, Mythology, and Folklore) 107 (Death-Watch ), 205 (Rocky Mountain Locust) Mar. 16 Spring Break Mar. 23 8 Insect-Vectored Diseases 15 (Assassin Bug), 37 (Black Fly), Blog Activity 2 163 (Mosquito), 183 (Oriental Rat Flea), 215 (Sand Fly), 222 (What’s Eating You?), 237 () Mar. 30 9 DDT and Silent Spring 103 (Corn Rootworm)

April 6 10 EXAM II Monday April 6 20 (Bugs of War), Human Use and Consumption of Insects 158 (Arrow Poisons), Discussion 229 (Spanish Fly) April 13 11 Cultural Entomology

April 20 12 Clean Up 133 (Formosan Subterranean Final Report Due Monday April 20 ), 137 (The Go Marching) April 27 13 Insects as Biological Indicators Blog Activity 3 May 4 Report Due Monday May 4 by 9:00 p.m. Online Final Exam: Thursday, May 14

Course Grade Your final course grade will depend on % of total points earned. ≥90% of total points = A, 80-89% of total points = B, 70-79% of total points = C, 60-69% of total points = D, less than 60% is an F.

Assignments Point value 3 Exams (50 points each) 150 points Module Quizzes (10 of 12 quizzes) 100 points Online Blog Activities (10 points each) 30 points Discussions participation (20 points each) 40 points Journal Activities (10 points each) 130 points Final Paper 50 points Total Course Points = 500

Examinations There will be 3 online examinations given during the semester worth 50 points each. Test questions could be derived from the lecture, MyClasses readings and assignments, and discussions. Therefore, each student is expected to have an integrative knowledge of all course material. All Exams will be delivered through MyClasses Respondus Lockdown Browser. These are worth 150 points total of your grade.

No make-up examinations will be given. All exams are scheduled on the Syllabus and are worth 50 points each. Each exam is scheduled for a specific day and you will have the entire day to complete it. It will close at midnight of the day assigned.

Online Quizzes Module quizzes will be delivered through MyClasses Lockdown Browser. Quizzes consist of mostly multiple choice questions and True/False questions. Information covered in lecture slides are the most important but topics and terms in assigned readings, discussions, and videos will also be on the quiz. There is a time limit during the quiz, typically 1 minute per question (total 10 minutes), and you will have only one chance to take the quiz so be prepared by taking notes and reading the assigned chapter before you take the quiz. You may use your book and your own notes for taking the quizzes, but all online quizzes must be taken without help of any kind from other people. Module quizzes will be available for taking only during the week the module is scheduled. NO LATE QUIZZES will be allowed; I will not respond to emails about taking a quiz after its deadline because you will have 7 days in which to take it. Technical problems on your end will not be an excuse, so don't wait until the last day or hour that a quiz is available to take it. Have a backup computer in mind, for example at the SU library, in case your computer or internet provider fails you. Be aware that the SU computer system often goes offline for a time on Fridays around 5:00 PM for maintenance, so I recommend not taking a quiz around that time. I do understand, however, that technical problems can occur so I will drop two quiz grades (but not the final quiz) from your total score for the semester. This should reduce your anxiety over any computer issues that may arise while taking a quiz.

Online Blog Activities: You are expected to participate in 3 Blog Activities. Instructions for each will be posted with the topics. Blog activities will be worth 30 points of your grade.

Online Discussion There will be two opportunities for you to share your experiences and opinions with classmates. Each discussion will be worth 20 points. In order to receive 20 points you must participate in class discussion. This means that you cannot wait until the last minute to post comments. Your comments should be appropriate to the topic, and should illustrate that you have put thought into your comments and responses. Grammar and spelling matter! Minimal work will only get you a minimal grade!

As you progress through the modules, many different questions may arise that we can address in the Discussion section. The discussions are meant to be class activities, so please respond to each other’s posts, and don't be afraid to begin new discussion threads. You should participate in discussions at least every other day. Each discussion will be worth 20 points; so 40 points of your final grade in this class will come from discussion participation points - AND discussion topics may be covered in the quizzes and final exam. I will grade discussions based on the quality, quantity, and the timing of your posts. Posting late in the week, or just simply repeating what others have said just for the sake of posting will garner few points. To get all 20 points: be involved in discussions early in the week and often; post questions you have, add novel insights to the discussion, and respond to posts made by other students. Basically, be an active rather than a passive online student.

Journal Activities Your instructor will view all journal activities. These will be graded on content, thought, effort, and spelling and grammar. There will be one journal activity assigned each week and you will have until Monday 9:00 a.m. of the following week to complete it. These are worth 130 points of your final grade.

SU Writing Center At the University Writing Center, trained consultants are ready to help you at any stage of the writing process. All students are encouraged to make use of this important service. For more information about the Writing Center’s hours and policies, visit the Writing Center or its website at www.salisbury.edu/uwc.

Final Report During the semester you will pick one of the insects in your text book and provide a more thorough research paper regarding how this insect has effected human society, whether in the past or in the present. The paper should be double spaced, Time New Roman 12 pt. Font and at least 10 pages.

Your final paper will be uploaded to SafeAssign for grading and plagiarism assessment. Paper assignments turned in late will result in a 10% grade penalty and an additional 10% per day deduction. All writing assignments must be done by you, using your own words. Your final paper will worth 50 grade points. Your paper will be evaluated mainly on clarity and content but grammar and spelling count too. I recommend utilizing the SU Writing Center. All references must be provided and Wikipedia is not a resource for this paper.

A, 45-50. Excellent paper. Very well developed, clear, and interesting to read. It gives the reader an excellent understanding of some important issues. Well written and shows insights beyond what was presented in the textbook, class, or gleaned from a website. Has a very minimal use of quoted sentences.

B, 40-44. Good paper. Addresses the assigned topics but not quite as interesting to read or not as well written as an A paper because it shows less depth and clarity.

C, 35-39. OK paper. Some parts of the paper may be hard to understand or seem incomplete. Insufficient depth and detail.

D, 30-34. Needs help. Does not address all of the topics. Poorly written. Liberal use of "quoted" passages as filler material. Do not copy/paste/massage other peoples' words and call it your own. This is a form of plagiarism.

Academic Misconduct and Plagiarism You are expected to abide by the SU Student Academic Misconduct Policy. Violation of this policy will result in a zero grade for the assignment or the course, and a report will be filed with the offices of Student Affairs and Provost. All work bearing your name implies that you have neither given nor received unauthorized assistance. This includes online quizzes, which must be completed independently without help, hints, or aid of any kind from other people. Plagiarism will not be tolerated, and specialized computer programs will be utilized to check for plagiarism. What is plagiarism? • Cut-and-pasting from electronic sources. • Using ideas, concepts or conclusions from other sources without acknowledgement • Paraphrasing without acknowledging source. • Using term- paper web sites to purchase papers.

Study habits Each week, you will be exposed to a lot of new information. Therefore, it is recommended that you read through your lecture notes, and read through the MyClasses assigned readings several times, before taking the online quizzes. If you have any questions about the assigned readings or online quizzes, Dr. Price will be available through email. There is also a link under the discussion tab where you can post questions. Everyone will be able to read them and may have the same question.