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325L General Entomology Department of Biological University of Tennessee at Martin Fall 2013

Instructor: Kevin M. Pitz, Ph.D. Office: 308 Brehm Hall Phone: (731) 881-7173 (office); (731) 587-8418 (home, before 7:00pm only) Email: [email protected] Office hours: I am generally in my office or in Brehm Hall when not in class or at lunch. I take lunch from 11:00am-noon every day. I am in class from 8am-5pm on Monday, and from 8:00am-11:00am + 2:00pm-3:30pm on T/Th. I have no classes on Wednesday and Friday. My door is always open when I am available, and you are encouraged to stop by any time I am in if you need something. You can guarantee I will be there if we schedule an appointment.

Text (required): Borrer and Delong’s Introduction to the Study of . 7th Edition. Charles A. Triplehorn and Norman F. Johnson

Course Description: (4) A study of the , , , , and taxonomy of insects. Emphasis on positive and negative human- interactions and identification of local insect fauna. This course requires field work involving physical activity. Three one-hour lectures and one three-hour lab (or equivalent). Prereq: BIOL 130-140 with grades of C or better. (Modified from course catalogue)

Prerequisites: BIOL 130-140

Lab Objectives: Familiarity with the following: – Basic /classification – Use of dichotomous keys – Non-insect terrestrial identification – Sight identification of all insect orders – Sight identification of select insect families – Insect collection and proper insect curation techniques

On top of the academic objectives associated with course material, I expect students to hone skills in critical reading and thinking. Students will be required to apply the concepts they learn in lecture while in the lab.

Attendance and Policies: Attendance and class participation are mandatory. Tardiness, texting, talking during presentations, use of any tobacco products, and eating will not be tolerated in this laboratory. Use of laptop computers for taking notes is encouraged; any other use of computers in class is prohibited such as (including, but not limited to) emailing and web-surfing. All phone/Palm Pilot/Blackberry/ipod/iPhone/mp3 player/ etc. must be off and remain off while in class. During practicals, the use of any electronic devise is prohibited. It is expected that you will be considerate to other students, staff, and faculty. If you have a question or feel that you need help, please come see me, send me an email, or let me know somehow. I cannot help you outside of class unless you let me know you need it

Academic Dishonesty: Students should familiarize themselves with the Student Handbook’s stance on academic integrity. Cheating in any form will not be tolerated in this course and will result in appropriate punishment, up to and including a grade of F for the course along with a written report to the appropriate dean.

Students with Disabilities: Any student eligible for and requesting academic accommodation due to a disability is required to provide a letter of accommodation from Disability Student Services (in the Student Success Center) within the first two weeks of the semester.

Grading: You must be enrolled in lecture and lab for this course in order to receive a final grade. Your final grade will be determined by both your lecture grade (50%) and your lab grade (50%). Lecture grading will be outlined in your Lecture syllabus. If there is ever a question about your grade on an exam, quiz or assignment, see me within one week of receiving the grade to discuss it; I will not discuss past grades at the end of the semester.

Breakdown of points: Grade Scale: Midterm – 100 points A – 90%-100% Final – 100 points B – 80%-89.99% Collection – 400 points C – 70%-79.99% Total – 600 points D – 60%-69.99% F – Below 60%

Extra credit: extra credit will not be offered in any form.

Exam Format: Exams will consist of specimen identification. Students will be required to sight-identify specimens to order for their midterm and to family for the final. Non- insect must be identified to the lowest taxonomic level as discussed in lecture/ lab. Keys/books/notes will not be available during exams.

Make-up Exams: Make-up exams will not be given. Only in the case of extreme extenuating circumstances will consideration be made at the discretion of the professor. Exams for the lab portion of this course will consist of specimen identification. They must be set up and taken down in the course of a single day, meaning they will not be available after the day of the exam. Dates of exams will not change from what is on the syllabus; therefore students know at the beginning of the semester when all exams for this course will be administered.

Lecture and Exam Schedule: Lecture topics are tentative and subject to change. Exam dates will not change, but material over which you will be tested will reflect any changes made to the lecture schedule. Note that there are no in-class reviews. If students feel that these are necessary, we can schedule a time for them during the evening and outside of normal class hours upon their request.

Tentative lab schedule:

Date

26-Aug Introduction to lab, hand out equipment; insect orders overview

2-Sep No class - MLK day – you should be collecting a lot this weekend

9-Sep Pacer Pond trip - wear appropriate clothing

16-Sep Work on collections

23-Sep Work on collections

30-Sep Work on collections

Midterm evaluation - turn in collections and notebooks

7-Oct Lab Midterm – Sight identification to order

14-Oct Work on collections

21-Oct Work on collections

28-Oct Work on collections

4-Nov Work on collections

11-Nov Work on collections

18-Nov Work on collections

25-Nov Collections and notebooks due by 5:00pm. NO EXCEPTIONS

2-Dec Lab Final – Sight identification to family

Last day to drop - October 18