Biology 103 Home Page
|Biology 103, Fall, 2009, Bryn Mawr College|
BIOLOGY: An Exploration and Conversation
Students (and visitors) should be aware that this is a "non-traditional" science course in several respects (see Science As Story Telling in Action for further background).
The course is organized in relation to the following general presumptions (see syllabus for specifics):
Welcome to Biology 103. And to thinking about science, and about life, and to trying to make sense of their relation to one another, and to ... Browse around, be sure to read the course presumptions, and let's see what we can together do that's interesting, productive, and fun (those being the same thing?).
Start by introducing yourself in the on-line forum below (be sure to log in first if you're registered for the course), with some thoughts about what you'd like to better understand about life. Include three questions that you hope to explore during the semester. Visitors are welcome to add their own thoughts here and in other course forums without logging in. Such postings will be reviewed to avoid spam and so may be delayed in appearing. Comments on the general organization and conduct of the course as it proceeds are welcome in this forum at any time.
Apologies about log in confusion, associated stress. Thanks for patience/tolerance. Will try to be "less wrong" in future. If you posted without logging in, please repost.
Add an introduction to yourself with questions in the forum area below if you haven't already done so. Thoughts from the week should be posted this weekend in the weekly forum. In addition to your own thoughts, leave a comment on someone else's.
Labs start today. See lab rosters for assignment. Be sure to log in before posting in forums.
Starting next week, we'll be meeting in Room 126 (thanks Emdoscio).
If you're new to the course, don't know how to log in and post in forums, please see me after class.
First web paper due Monday, 28 September. See web paper assignment.
First web papers available. Thanks all for additions to making sense of life. Browse, add your own thoughts on one or more.
Enjoying your web papers, comments coming this week. Have a look, leave comments yourselves. Some recent articles of interest, and that might also stimulate a second web paper ...
First lab report due Monday, 26 October. Second web paper due Monday, 9 November.
I've commented on/sent emails about first web papers. If I've somehow missed you, let me know. Please check your papers for layout/legibility/competeness and edit if necessary. See end of Writing Assignments, particularly items 1 and 6. If you prefer you can paste in Word documents using the special icon and then reformat them in the editing window.
First lab report due next Monday (hard copy only).
"Darwin’s Ancestors: Tracing the Origins of the “Origin of Species,” a celebration of the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin’s birth and the 150th anniversary of his landmark book On the Origin of Species will run through February 2010 in the Class of 1912 Rare Book Room in Canaday Library. The exhibition will open on Thursday, Oct. 22, with a lecture by Swarthmore College Professor of Biology Scott Gilbert, titled “Disagreements Among Friends: How T. H. Morgan and E. B. Wilson’s Agreeing to Disagree Helped Establish Genetics and the Modern Synthesis.” Wilson was Bryn Mawr’s first biology professor and Morgan the second, and both played prominent roles in the international debates over evolution during the first half of the 20th century. The lecture will be at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 22, in Carpenter Library 21.
Technical problems being worked on, so no lab this week. Sorry. Labs will resume next week.
Second web paper due next Monday.
Second set of web papers available. Remaining assignments (third web paper, second lab report, book commentary all due by 18 December.
Apologies, I (too?) have been under the weather. Will have comments on lab reports, second web paper to you by the end of Thanksgiving break.
Second web paper comments posted and emailed.
Final work (3rd web paper, 2nd lab paper, book commentary) due by December 18. Web paper and book commentary should be posted on line and submitted as hard copies; lab paper should be submitted as hard copy only. Hard copies can be put in the box on the door to my office (Room 111).
Please be thoughtful/frank in completing course assessments, both the official college assessment and the one specific to Bio 103.
One more course evaluation form, please. For the biology department at https://survey.brynmawr.edu/checkbox/Survey.aspx?surveyid=1837
By the end of the week, pay one more visit to the course forum, leave your thoughts about questions about life needing to be addressed in years to come.