Syllabus: BIOL 130 Marine Biology Pacific NW - 12963
Course Information
Term: SUMMER 2024
Online Room (Hybrid)
Credits: 5.00*
Modality: Hybrid
Prerequisites: Eligibility for ENGL& 101 AND eligibility for MATH 96.
*The number of credit hours for some courses is flexible and determined through mutual agreement between students and instructors and/or the standards set forth by the instructor.
Course Description
Life processes of marine organisms and their ecological interactions. Introduction to the scientific method, oceanographic drivers, marine ecology, the identification, interactions, behavior and life histories of marine organisms with field trip(s) and an emphasis on intertidal marine organisms found in the varied shore communities of the Salish Sea. Using the Salish Sea as a focus, coursework may include an overview of the world's oceans with human impact, uses, and conservation efforts examined. Assignments
Your grade will be based on the following:
Weekly Discussions (15%)
Each week you will be assigned a reading, video, audio, or some combination of these to prepare you for the topic we will cover that week. Based on the assigned content, we will use the Socratic method that will ask you to share what you have learned with your classmates. By engaging in this open format for discussion and learning, you benefit from the framing of information by your fellow peers.
Lab Activities (30%)
In order to assure you do receive your science lab credit, there are several labs this quarter. For each lab, you will delve into content a bit deeper, examining the world through lenses that will expand your understanding beyond just the overview of course content. This may involve you doing internet research and sharing images with your peers in a discussion format. It may involve you videotaping something. It may involve answering questions. There will be one field trip. I try to keep the assignments exciting and diverse.
Metacognitive Reading Logs and Assignments (25%)
None of us are empty slates. You have all had experiences in the world around you that will inform your understanding of the content you are about to learn. Sometimes that information is really well developed, and many times it is incomplete. To capture what you learn from a unit, to provide me with feedback on where my students are coming from, and to help you gauge what you're learning in a research-based approach to learning, you will engage in weekly reflections. For each module, you will be asked to reflect on what you already know to help you prepare to frame your thinking around a topic. At the end of each unit, you'll be asked to reflect on what you learned about a topic. Through this process, you'll be modeling the self-directed learner.
There will be some topics where additional exploration will be needed. For those topics, there will be homework assignments separate from the weekly reading assignments. These will help to deepen your understanding of a topic and will generally be something a bit different from the standard course content which will help to potentially connect this content to your own goals and personal interests. This might be a worksheet, a case study, or illustration. Detailed directions will always be given.
Weekly Quiz (20%)
Quizzes will include content from PowerPoints, videos, supplemental resources, etc... in addition to the labs. To "close out" each module, you will have a quiz that will check your understanding of the content. They will be a timed and you can use any resources that you want while you're taking the quiz, except another student/person. You must take the quizzes on your own.
Individual Assignment: à la carte (10%)
This individual assignment will allow you to explore a topic you were interested in and apply it to a new context and explore resources that may be useful for you in your future. More details are on Canvas.
Class Schedule
Course Schedule
Week
Chapter
Labs
Week 1
Introduction to Our Course and the Science of Marine Biology (CH 1)
Microscopy
Week 2
Chemical and Physical Features of the Ocean (CH 3)
Water Density
Week 3
Fundamentals of Biology (CH 4)
Dissolved Oxygen
Week 4
Introduction to Marine Ecology and Between the Tides (Ch 10, 11)
Field Trip
Week 5
Estuaries (CH 12)
Experimental Design
Week 6
Life on the Continental Shelf (CH 13)
Data Collection
Week 7
Coral Reefs (CH 14)
Final Data Collection and Work on Poster
Week 8
Life Near the Surface and Ocean Depths (CH15, 16)
Poster Presentations