11:216:324 Invertebrate Zoology Fall 2020 Lecture: Asynchronous (2 video lectures/week). Lab: Asynchronous (1 lab activity/week) Live Zoom Drop-In for Q & A: TBA INSTRUCTOR Dr. Kimberly Russell ([email protected]) Office: ENR 124 Lab: 201 Plant Physiology Building (looks like a house near CDL) Teaching Assistant: Tyler Christenson ([email protected]) COMMUNICATION Throughout the semester, I will communicate with you via either Canvas Announcements or your Rutgers email account. COURSE MODALITY This course is delivered fully online. To access the companion Canvas course site, please visit Rutgers Canvas at https://canvas.rutgers.edu/ and log in using your NetID. This course is also considered asynchronous, meaning that students can view lectures and complete labs at their convenience. However, students will be polled to find windows of time for optional live video interaction. COURSE MATERIALS Text: Biology of the Invertebrates , by Jan A. Pechenik, 7th Edition (2014). McGraw-Hill Education. ISBN-10: 0073524182, ISBN-13: 978-0073524184. [Check Amazon for purchase and rental options!] Lab: Lab materials & instructions will be posted on Canvas. Please create a designat ed folder on your computer for lab downloads and assignments. COURSE DESCRIPTION Invertebrates make up 99% of all animal life on our planet with over 2 million described species dispersed among 30+ phyla. In some ways, it is INSANE to attempt to discuss the diversity of these creatures in a single semester. Instead, we can place these organisms into an evolutionary history that highlights the differences and similarities between groups. The goal of this course is both to introduce you to the diversity of life on this planet and to give you an appreciation of the utility, beauty and relevance of these fantastic creatures. LEARNING GOALS • Demonstrate an understanding of the fundamental differences among invertebrate taxa, and the relationships among taxa. • Demonstrate knowledge of basic phylogenetic principles. • Demonstrate the ability to make careful observations of specimens. • Demonstrate the ability to classify organisms based on morphology. • Gain an appreciation for the diversity of animals (& enjoy yourself at the same time). GRADES 3 Exams (100 points each) 3 Lecture Quizzes (20 points, lowest dropped) Attendance (4 point embedded questions in video lectures; 80 points max) 1 Beast Profile (30 points) Lecture total: 450 points Lab total: 150 points (details on separate syllabus) Letter grades will follow the Rutgers standard cutoffs unless otherwise noted (A 90 – 100; B+ 87 – 89; B 80 – 86; C+ 77 – 79; C 70 – 76; D 61 - 69; F 60 and below) Late Assignment Policy: 10% will be deducted for each day an assignment is late. No excuses needed. [Note, if you are late with an assignment for medical reasons, please contact myself or your TA pr ior to the due date!] Instructor Accessibility. Please note that general questions about the course (content questions, due date clarifications, etc.) should be asked either in the weekly live Zoom Q&A sessions or in the general Q&A Discussion in Canvas so that all students can benefit from the answer. To reach me regarding questions that are personal in nature or if you are unable to attend the scheduled Q&A session, please contact me via direct e-mail ([email protected]; please do NOT use the Canvas e -mail system). I will also be available to schedule private zoom meetings with students by appointment (https://krussell-rutgersuniversity.youcanbook.me). ASSIGNMENTS Introductions. All students are expected to make a 1 minute video intro duction of themselves to be viewed by Dr. Russell and other students registered for the class. See Canvas Assignments for details. Reading. The textbook is an excellent reference and my lectures will mostly be derived from the material presented in it. Believe it or not, we will get through the whole thing! Beast Profile. Each student will be expected to present to the class a profile of one critter of your choosing (based on awesomeness, horror or disgust). Presentations will be 3 to 5 minutes. At a minimum, you will need to provide 3 or 4 PowerPoint slides narrated by you with basic info rmation that will be included at the end of the day’s lecture. Basic information should include a picture, the scientific name of the organism, how it fits in the tree of life (must be consistent with your textbook! Don’t trust Wikipedia!), and why you chose it. Other than that, be creative. Y ou can make a video with props, costumes, you can sing about it. The only thing you CANNOT do is show a video narrated by someone else. Have fun! A sign- up sheet will be posted; Presentations begin the week of September 14th. Beast Feast. Traditionally, during the last day of lecture, we have a class party that includes a sampling of tasty invertebrate-themed food. Obviously, we can’t do the same this year, so instead, I will create a Discussion in Canvas where we can post recipes and we will schedule a Zoom meeting where students can share what they have made with the class. Lab Assignments. You should have all received or picked up your at home lab kit. There will be a variety of lab activities over the course of the semester – some you will have a week to complete, others will run for multiple weeks. You will be assigned a lab group with whom y ou can schedule live video calls via zoom or chat via Slack to disc uss lab activities and sometimes complete group assignments. See the lab syllabus for details and dates. All questions regarding lab policies and assignments should be directed to the TA: Tyler Christenson ([email protected]). COURSE EXPECTATIONS AND POLICIES Lectures. I expect you view the lectures within a week of when they are posted – students will only get credit for the embedded quizzes during this time, although lectures will remain viewable. Video Lectures can be found in the Media Gallery. Students should take notes during the lectur es – not all the information I expect you to know is printed on the lecture slides. As a study aid, I will post the lecture slides without audio/video on Canvas in Files. Exams & Quizzes. Although exams and quizzes will be given online, they are NOT open book/open note. Students are expected to study and memorize the material (other than the names of the taxonomic groups which will be provided). To minimize cheating, there will be a strict time limit on all quizzes and exams. For students with official ODS accommodations, please submit your documentation to me before the first exam (see below). Students can choose to begin an exam or quiz anytime within a 24 hour window, but must complete the exam in the allotted time once they start. Students should plan on taking exams when they have access to stable internet connections. Exams will not be re-opened once started except under extreme/documentable circumstances. Also: • Laboratory participation is mandatory – students cannot pass the class without completing the lab activities. Late submissions will be discounted 10%/day and will not be accepted after 10 days. • If you are unable to take an exam or quiz due to illness, you must communicate with me BEFORE the c lose date of the exam. • I expect you to check your e-mail for class announcements!!!! • Academic dishonesty of any kind will not be tolerated. SPECIAL COVID-19 CONSIDERATIONS This is a remote class due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We understand that this is an unusual situation and that new and unanticipated issues may arise, either due to coordinating a shared space, illness of students and/or family members and internet disruptions. It is important to us that you communicate with us if any special circumstances make it impossible or risky for you to complete assigned classwork. If you let us know in advance, we can usually find a solution. We intend to be flexible, while still being fair. Download the zoom app for your phone and computer – it works much better than using zoom through your browser. Live Q & A sessions will take place via Zoom and you may wish to use Zoom to communicate with your TA or other lab group members. Download the iNaturalist app and Slack (details will be provided in the lab syllabus). ACADEMIC HONOR CODE Each student has the responsibility (1) to uphold the highest standards of academ ic integrity in the student's own work, (2) to refuse to tolerate violations of academic integrity in the university community, and (3) to foster a high sense of integrity and social responsibility on the part of the university community. Cheating and Plagiarism: Plagiarism is defined as the use of any information, published, or unpublished without acknowledgement. Cheating occurs when you use the work of another student in place of your own. Neither will be tolerated. It is extremely important that you distinguish your own ideas from those of others. You must always acknowledge sources. If you have any questions, see the instructor. DISABILITY SERVICES. Rutgers University welcomes students with disabilities into all of the University’s educational programs. In order to receive consideration for reasonable accommodations, a student with a disability must contact the appropriate disability services office at the campus where you are officially enrolled, participate in an intake interview, and provide documentation: https://ods.rutgers.edu/students/documentation- guidelines. If the documentation supports your request for reasonable accommodations, your campus’s disability services office will provide you with a Letter of Accommodations. Please share this letter with your instructors and discuss the accommodations with them as early in your courses as possible.