Department of Biology Core Courses for Majors

Bio 114 OrganismsBio 124 Ecology and EvolutionBio 214 Cell and Molecular BiologyBio 224 Genetics and Development

Department of Biology Core Courses for Majors

Bio 114 OrganismsBio 124 Ecology and EvolutionBio 214 Cell and Molecular BiologyBio 224 Genetics and Development

Bio 124 Ecology and Evolution

Laboratory sections

2 hours and 50 minutes per week

Objectives

The information literate student will identify key journal articles in a given topic to include in a scientific paper in the format of a journal and to present a PP presentation in the format of a national meeting presentation.

Objectives

The information literate student will demonstrate the ability to select an appropriate data base and to conduct a search strategy to locate key journal article or articles.

Scientific Method

1.Observation2.Question3. Hypothesis4. Prediction5. Experiment6. Analysis7.Conclusion

Scientific Method

1. Observation2. Question3. Hypothesis4. Prediction5. Experiment6. Analysis7. Conclusion

Literature review

“Six months in the lab can save you a week in the library.”

Series of semester-long assignments

Week 2: Assign plant competition reading material in the laboratory manual. Pre-test information seeking skills.

Week 3: Setup plant competition experiment and assign a journal article on the topic.

•Experiment on plant competition•Information literacy

Week 4: Classroom discussion on assigned research article; students fill out worksheet

Discuss the parts of a scientific paper, including keywords.

Week 6: Discuss strategies to search the research literature

-compare and develop search strategies for three key databases

-hands on exercise to search for articles

-assignment to search on their own and bring in a full text article

Week 7: Students bring in full-text article for approval of instructor.

Week 8: Data collection starts.

Students present the key findings of their journal article to members of their lab group.

Week 10. Finish data collection.

Week 11. Students turn in results section for preliminary review.

Week 12. Results section returned, and discussion of problems with data analysis and writing.

Week 13. Students turn in lab reports.

Introduction section: summary of assigned and selected papers.

Discussion: students’ results placed in context of assigned and selected papers.

Week 15. PP presentations as a group assignment.

Assessment: Explore rubric for grading papers and presentations.

Post-test on information literacy.

Second year courses will reinforce students’ information literacy skills with similar but more comprehensive exercises.