Phycology BIOL 303 and 303L
Instructor: Dr. Heather L. Spalding
Office: RITA 206, Email: [email protected]
Fall 2019
Credits: 4 (including Laboratory)
Time: Tues/Thur 9:25 am – 10:40 am at RITA 281 Friday 1:00 – 4:00 pm at Grice Marine Lab 101
Required Texts for Students:
• Algae (Third Edition) —by Linda Graham, James M. Graham, Lee W. Wilcox, and Martha E. Cook (2019) ISBN 978-0-9863935-3-2 • Seaweed ecology and physiology (Second Edition) —by Hurd, C. L., Harrison, P. J., Bischof, K., & Lobban, C. S. (2014)
Course Description and Objectives Students will be required to attend all Phycology lecture and laboratory sections of the class, and participate in all tests, discussions, and assignments. The objective of the class is to become familiar with the principles of algal diversity, structure, physiology, ecology, and evolution. Laboratory sections will focus on the identification of the local marine flora, and the recognition of common genera world-wide. The Laboratory portion will be field-intensive and field-trip based, with the outcomes being a student herbarium, familiarity with common algal field survey techniques, and the ability to use a dichotomous key. Student Learning Objectives
1) Identify and use the basic vocabulary of phycology 2) Identify diverse algal organisms with the use of a dichotomous key 3) Relate algae to global human and environmental health concerns 4) Be able to write a scientific paper in a clear and organized manner in formats used in the primary scientific literature. 5) Demonstrate the ability to work as a team-member in the field with fellow students 6) Demonstrate advanced development of written, oral, and computational skills
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Research Requirements
• Algal herbarium of the local flora, including representative species from the Rhodophyta, Chlorophyta, and Phaeophyceae. • Ten minute presentation on an algal research topic of interest, followed by a 5 minute discussion. • Written term paper (5 pages) on an algal research topic of interest, using at least 10 peer- reviewed papers as sources. Evaluation Criteria and Procedures
• Exams (summative assessment) will be in-class short answer and essay exams emphasizing higher order cognition. • Graded assignments will be submitted electronically to the OAKS drop box, including the written term paper (5 pages) on an algal research topic of interest. Assessment
Grading scale:
A 93-100
A- 90-92
B+ 87-89
B 83-86
B- 80-82
C+ 77-79
C 73-76
C- 70-72
D+ 67-69
D 63-66
D- 60-62
F less than 60
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Course Component Value (% of final course grade)
Laboratory 25%
Exams (3) 30%
Cumulative Final Exam (1) 20%
Final Paper 10%
In Class Presentation & Discussion 10%
Participation 5%
TOTAL 100%
Laboratory (25%) Component Value (% of final laboratory grade)
Laboratory Exams 10%
Herbarium 10%
Class Project/Interview 5%
TOTAL 25%
Final Exam The final exam is on Thursday, Dec. 5 from 8:00 – 11:00 am in the regularly scheduled classroom.
Accommodation
● SNAP students, disabled students, veterans, parents, commuters, nontraditional students, athletes, International, ESL, and all students with life circumstances that may warrant accommodations are encouraged to discuss any concerns with the Instructor during the first two weeks of class or as soon as the student has been approved for services so that reasonable accommodations can be arranged. I understand that we all have many important things going on in our lives in addition to this phycology class. I aim to be friendly, approachable, and understanding. But I will challenge you, and hold you to high standards.
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Honor Code and Academic Integrity • Lying, cheating, attempted cheating, and plagiarism are violations of our Honor Code that, when identified, are investigated. Each incident will be examined to determine the degree of deception involved.
• Incidents where the instructor determines the student’s actions are related more to misunderstanding and confusion will be handled by the instructor. The instructor designs an intervention or assigns a grade reduction to help prevent the student from repeating the error. The response is recorded on a form and signed both by the instructor and the student. It is forwarded to the Office of the Dean of Students and placed in the student’s file.
• Cases of suspected academic dishonesty will be reported directly by the instructor and/or others having knowledge of the incident to the Dean of Students. A student found responsible by the Honor Board for academic dishonesty will receive a XXF in the course, indicating failure of the course due to academic dishonesty. This status indicator will appear on the student’s transcript for two years after which the student may petition for the XX to be expunged. The F is permanent.
• Students can find the complete Honor Code and all related processes in the Student Handbook at http://deanofstudents.cofc.edu/honor-system/studenthandbook/index.php
Contact/Communication
Private/Student-To-Instructor Contact ● Students should contact me about issues that are specific to the student by email at [email protected] ● My response time with emails will typically be within 24 hours on weekdays and within 48 hours on weekends.
Office Hours ● In person office hours (drop-in/group) in RITA 206: Tuesdays 11:00AM – 1:00PM or by appointment.
Course Communication and Community Building ● OAKS will be utilized for content, discussions, news, updates, and grades. New to Oaks? Get up to speed fast with tutorials here: http://blogs.cofc.edu/oaks/students/getting-started/ ● Email will be used to communicate important or sudden changes in course information. ● We will all work together to build our classroom and online learning community. I will play a
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facilitating role in helping you get to know, work with, trust, and collaborate with the other members of our class. Each member of the class must be willing to participate in a dynamic and engaging learning group that is inclusive. Your participation, willingness to contribute, and initiative are paramount to having a successful and enjoyable learning experience. We aim to develop a spirit of camaraderie and team learning that will unite us as a community of learners.
Expectations
● Students should plan to log into OAKS at least 2 times per week. ● Students should dedicate 8+ hours per week to this course to be successful. ● This class is student-driven. Motivation must come from the student. ● Our class should be interactive and engaging! Students are expected to contribute to our learning community. ● Laptops or tablets are not allowed in class unless a need for accommodation is documented/discussed with the Instructor. Research clearly indicates that note taking by hand is a superior method of learning. You may audio record lectures, but please ask first. ● Please keep phones silenced and away during class time.
Participation • You are required to attend all classes, and are responsible for all material announced or discussed during class. Participation in class is worth 5% of the overall grade, at the discretion of the professor.
Late Work • Late homework assignments are not accepted. • Late exams are not permitted without formal documentation and prior approval due to official College travel, weddings, and funerals. Excused absences due to serious medical issues for exams or missed assignments may be considered for exemption on a case by case basis, with documentation of an absence memo.
Inclement Weather • In the event of cancelled class(es) due to inclement weather, make up lectures or activities will be available online through OAKS. If the College of Charleston closes and members of the community are evacuated due to inclement weather, students are responsible for taking course materials with them to continue with course assignments consistent with instructions provided by faculty.
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Paper and Presentation Ideas • Below are just a few ideas for your paper and presentation due at the end of the semester. Feel free to come up with other innovative algal topics or ideas.
Kappaphycus/Eucheuma farming The history of Porphyra (nori) Caulerpa - killer algae Halimeda - making sand in paradise Climate change - giant kelps to turf Algal biofuels - boom or bust? Harmful algal blooms Sargassum blooms - causes and solutions Sargasso Sea - floating islands of biodiversity Algal overgrowth in coral reefs Algal biodiversity - how important is it? How algae makes sand My favorite alga because….. Regional focus - South Africa, Antarctica, Arctic, New Zealand, Australia, etc. The Bryposidales - the challenge of being one cell Wound healing in Bryopsidalian algae Algal antiherbivory compounds - how not to get eaten Coralline algae and ocean acidification Luminaries in the field Algae of Grays Reef Marine Sanctuary
Helpful Websites: http://www.algaebase.org/ http://www.oilgae.com/algae/algae.html http://www.alga-net.com/phycology/algaesites.htm https://www.psaalgae.org/ https://brphycsoc.org/ https://brphycsoc.org/canter-lund-2019/ http://intphycsociety.org/
Supplies to Purchase: • Booties, dissecting kit, and a cheap bedsheet (preferably used and upcycled)
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Schedule* Date Day Topic Aug 20 T Syllabus, In-class survey, Introduction 22 Th Overview of algae 23 F LAB 1 - How to press algae and make slides, Lab syllabus 27 T Algal life histories 29 Th Green algae 30 F LAB 2 - Agarophyton talk and fieldtrip by Dr. Sotka Sept 3 T Green algae; Algae Topic Due (1%) 5 Th Green algae 6 F LAB 3 - Green algae 10 T Diatoms 12 Th Diatoms 13 F LAB 4 - Diatoms 17 T EXAM I (10%) 19 Th Brown algae 20 F LAB 5 - Brown algae 24 T Brown algae 26 Th Red algae; Annotated Bibliography Due (2%) 27 F LAB 6 - Red algae 28 Sat FIELD TRIP - Huntington State Park Oct 1 T Red algae 3 Th Red algae 4 F LAB 7 - Mid-term Lab Exam (5%) 8 T Cyanobacteria 10 Th Dinoflagellates 11 F LAB 8 - Cyanos and Dinos 15 T NO CLASS 17 Th EXAM II (10%) 18 F LAB 9 - Algal physiology 22 T Algal physiology 24 Th Algal physiology; Paper Due (7%) 25 F LAB 10 - Field trip (Birmingham) 29 T Algal ecology 31 Th Algal ecology Nov 1 F LAB 11 - Algal ecology 5 T Algal uses and technology 7 Th Student Presentation - Graduate student 8 F LAB 12 - Algae Food and Art Celebration; Herbarium Due (10%) 12 T EXAM III (10%) 14 Th Student Presentations - 5 talks (10 min. talk, 5 min questions) 15 F LAB 13 - Final Lab Exam (5%) 19 T Student Presentations - 5 talks (10 min. talk, 5 min questions) 21 Th Student Presentations - 3 talks (10 min. talk, 5 min questions) Dec 5 Th FINAL EXAM (20%) from 8:00 - 11:00 am Fall 2019, BIOL 303 – Phycology, page 7 *Schedule subject to change
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