Seminars on Science (Graduate)

PROGRAM DIRECTOR: Brian Peterson CUNY School of Professional Studies 119 West 31st Street, 10th Floor New York, NY 10001 Email Contact: Kimberly Enoch, [email protected] URL: http://sps.cuny.edu/programs/scienceseminars

THE COURSES Seminars on Science is an online professional development program from the American Museum of Natural History. CUNY SPS offers graduate credit for the courses, which are in the life, Earth, and physical sciences. Each course is rich in essays, images, videos, interactive simulations and vibrant discussions that connect learners to the Museum's scientists, laboratories, expeditions and specimens.

Seminars on Science are designed to prepare, support, and inspire educators, whether they are new teachers seeking resources to use in the classroom or seasoned educators, looking to update lessons plans or knowledge in a specific content area.

The courses are co-taught by an experienced educator and a research scientist, and take place over six weeks, with a seventh week available for the completion of assignments.

The courses are designed to enhance educators' understanding of science and scientific inquiry. Each course includes a CD of resources for personal and classroom use.

Admission Criteria Registrants must have earned a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution in order to seek credit from CUNY SPS.

COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

GASTR 610 The Solar System 3 Credits Prerequisite: None This course provides an overview of what we know about the Solar System: how it began and evolved, its components and their properties, and how these elements interact as a system. However, much of our knowledge remains incomplete, and so unanswered questions and mysteries figure prominently in the story. The course addresses our scientific understanding of the Solar System, how we know what we know and many hotly debated questions at the cutting-edge of scientific research.

GBIO 610 Evolution 3 Credits Prerequisite: None This course draws on the Museum’s long-standing leadership in the fields of paleontology, geology, systematics, and molecular biology to tell a modern story of evolution. Students will learn why evolution is the fundamental concept that underlies all life sciences and how it contributes to advances in medicine, public health and conservation.

The course begins by looking at how Charles Darwin developed his groundbreaking views on evolution by observing patterns in nature. Students then examine the use of molecular and phylogenetic techniques to reconstruct evolutionary history and determine the place of an organism on the Tree of Life, which documents the evolutionary relationships among all species. Mechanisms of evolution and speciation are then covered and are followed by the origin and evolution of humans. The course concludes by examining the practical impact of evolution in the areas of human health, agriculture and conservation.

GBIO 620 Genetics, Genomics, Genethics 3 Credits Prerequisite: None How will our growing knowledge of the genome affect our health, our societies, and the natural world? How do heredity and environment interact? This course explores a scientific frontier: how scientists are investigating and applying the information contained in genetic codes. It covers the science, technology and ethics of molecular biology, including a review of how genes are transmitted and expressed. Students are introduced to a structure for thinking ethically that will frame their exploration of the issues that arise as our knowledge of our genome increases. Specific topics studied include: the “nature and nurture”

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debate regarding the influence of genes and environment on human development; genetically modified food; the Human Genome Project; and cloning. The course utilizes a diverse array of Museum instructional resources in a structured distance- learning environment.

GBIO 630 The Brain: Structure, Function and Evolution 3 Credits Prerequisite: None The human brain is an enormously complex system. It regulates all of our physical and mental functions and shapes who we are. This six-week course explores this remarkable organ: how it has evolved, how it works and how it changes over the course of our lives. Each week participants will draw from essays, media resources, textbook readings and online discussion forums to explore aspects of brain function - from sensing to decision-making to expressing ourselves. A weekly case study, written by a neuroscientist, will describe cutting-edge research in area as wide-ranging as functional MRIs as a diagnostic tool, the neurology of hearing and the evolution of mammalian brains. Students will complete the course with a solid grasp of how the brain works, how we know what we know and the exciting research prospects ahead.

GBIO 640 The Diversity of Fishes: Classification, Anatomy and Morphology 3 Credits Prerequisite: None Why study fish? They play a critical role in our understanding of evolution, as the first creatures with brains and bony jaws. Fish also represent an incredibly diverse species, making up half of all vertebrates alive today. They live everywhere from mountain streams to ocean depths. Despite this diversity, it is easy for scientists to determine what is and what is not a fish. This course demonstrates how ichthyologists classify fish through the study of evolution, diverse ecosystems and biogeography.

Students gain scientific research skills that they can apply to the study of fishes, other organisms and to other scientific disciplines. These skills include biological classification, observation methodologies, examining evidence, interpreting and analyzing data, and drawing conclusions. The course utilizes a diverse array of Museum instructional resources in a structured distance-learning environment.

GBIO 660 Sharks and Rays - Ecology, Classification and Evolution 3 Credits Prerequisite: None This course explores one of the most easily recognized marine species and star of many myths and legends: the shark, and its close relative, the ray. Students will learn how sharks and rays are related; how they navigate the dark seas; and, what other extraordinary sensory and reproductive features they share, through the scientific study of fossil and living animals.

Course topics covered include evolution and the fossil record; diversity of living sharks and rays; their search for food; mating and reproduction; and conservation and protection efforts. Students will learn about key science concepts such as diversity and adaptation; anatomy and morphology; fossil evidence; and, how to interpret and analyze data, and draw conclusions. The course utilizes a diverse array of Museum instructional resources in a structured distance-learning environment.

GBIO 670 The Link Between Dinosaurs and Birds - Evolution and Classification 3 Credits Prerequisite: None This course asks the question, "Did dinosaurs really go extinct 65 million years ago?" The course explores the overwhelming evidence suggesting that one branch of the dinosaur family tree managed to survive and lives among us today: we call them birds. Students will study the theropod group of dinosaurs (Tyrannosaurus rex and Velociraptor belonged to it), applying paleontologists’ tools and techniques, to determine which of these dinosaurs are most closely related to modern birds. The course also explores how fossils are collected and prepared and how scientists uncover the evolutionary relationships between species. Students will study theropod anatomy, genealogy, biology and behavior; fossilization and collection of dinosaurs; the origin of birds; dinosaur extinction and relatedness; and, living dinosaurs and their history after the demise of traditional dinosaurs.

Key science concepts covered include biological evolution and classification; extinction; geologic time; and, how to examine evidence, interpret and analyze data, and draw conclusions. The course utilizes a diverse array of Museum instructional resources in a structured distance-learning environment.

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GBIO 680 In the Field with Spiders - Classification, Anatomy and Morphology 3 Credits Prerequisite: None This course explores an abundant predator that is never more than six feet away from us: the spider. Students will receive an introduction to the scientific study of spiders, the largest entirely carnivorous order of animals. As one branch of scientific study of invertebrates, the course explains the importance of counting and cataloging spiders, how each new species is a treasure, and why scientists who specialize in the study of spiders find them so interesting.

Key course topics include the spider’s silk and web; its fangs and venom; and methods for field and laboratory research. Students will learn about species diversity, anatomy and morphology, biological classification, and how to make observations, interpret and analyze data, and draw conclusions. The course utilizes a diverse array of Museum instructional resources in a structured distance-learning environment.

GESCI 610 Earth: Inside and Out - Dynamic Earth Systems 3 Credits Prerequisite: None This course asks the questions, “How has the Earth evolved?” and “What causes climate and climate change?” It explores the dynamic geological events and systems that have shaped the planet and make it habitable, focusing on earth processes and geologic change, the earth’s geologic past and on how geologists study the earth. Topics studied include: the age of the earth and ways of estimating that age; evolution of the earth’s atmosphere; climate and climate change, including the ice ages; and why the earth is habitable.

It is designed to provide teachers and prospective teachers with study of geologic history and processes, along with investigation of their local geologic area. Coursework includes a final project; participants may choose to prepare earth science lessons or workshops for use at elementary/middle school levels. The course utilizes a diverse array of Museum instructional resources in a structured distance-learning environment.

GESCI 620 Climate Change 3 Credits Prerequisite: None This course explores the science of climate change. Students will learn how the climate system works; what factors cause climate to change across different time scales and how those factors interact; how climate has changed in the past; how scientists use models, observations and theory to make predictions about future climate; and the possible consequences of climate change for our planet. The course explores evidence for changes in ocean temperature, sea level and acidity due to global warming. Students will learn how climate change today is different from past climate cycles and how satellites and other technologies are revealing the global signals of a changing climate. Finally, the course looks at the connection between human activity and the current warming trend and considers some of the potential social, economic and environmental consequences of climate change.

GESCI 650 The Ocean System - Integrated Science 3 Credits Prerequisite: None This course addresses the questions, "How do oceans form?" and "How is human activity affecting the ocean system?" The course investigates the complex ocean system by looking at the relationships between the oceans and climate, geological events, and weather. Students will learn how the physical characteristics of the ocean system have framed the origin and incredible diversification of life and fragile ecosystems, such as coral reefs and mangrove forests. The course also explores how oceanographers investigate the role of symbiotic relationships and other biological adaptations in the dynamics of oceans, and how those dynamics are threatened by human activities and consumption.

Topics studied include the relationship between the oceans and the geosphere and atmosphere; properties of water; ocean circulation, currents and climate; biological adaptation; and, conservation. The course utilizes a diverse array of Museum instructional resources in a structured distance-learning environment.

GESCI 651 Water: Environmental Science 3 Credits Prerequisite: None Central to all ecosystems, water is essential to life as we know it. It shapes our planet on every level, from the chemical properties of the H20 molecule to its central role in global climate. Poised to be to the 21st century what oil was to the 20th, water is also a critical environmental issue. Where do we find it? Is it safe to consume? Who has access to it? How can we manage this precious resource to provide an adequate supply to all the species that depend upon it? This course will focus on

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why water is such a critical resource, the effect of human consumption on aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, and the social, economic, and environmental implications of water management.

GPHYS 630 Space, Time and Motion 3 Credits Prerequisite: None Throughout history, fascinated observers have grappled with questions concerning the physical origin, workings, and behavior of the universe. In this course, essays, online interaction, streaming video, and web resources are used to trace this historic path of discovery and exploration. Changing understandings of motion, time, space, matter, and energy are studied through the ideas of the ancient Greek philosophers, Galileo Galilei, Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein. Topics studied include: the concepts of motion, relativity and gravity; and the discoveries and ideas of Einstein and other major thinkers in the field of physical science.

The course utilizes a diverse array of Museum instructional resources in a structured distance-learning environment.

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