\u00a0* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *<\/p>\n
\u00a0Fall 2012<\/p>\n
(A course in the Natural History Mosaic Program)<\/p>\n
Course Aims and Expectations:<\/strong><\/p>\n This credit\u2014the 4th<\/sup>\u00a0of your credits for the Natural History mosaic\u2014will allow you to deepen you knowledge of one of our topics under the guidance of one or two professors. You will pick a topic during the first week of the semester, refine that topic during the early weeks of the semester, and then spend the remainder of the fall term preparing your final research or study project. The course will also provide an opportunity for peer editing and comment as well as regular interactions with your supervising professor\/s.<\/p>\n Requirements:<\/strong><\/p>\n Because of the faculty teaching assignments for the semester, seven of you will work primarily with Professor Nichols, two each primarily with Professors Key and Wingert. Those of you who know that your topics are primarily scientific (lab based, primary research, specimens, data collection and analysis) will need to decide whether your focus leans toward paleontology and marine biology (Professor Key or terrestrial biology and environmental science (Professor Wingert). Those of you whose work will fall in the disciplines of history, literature, cultural studies\u2014and the like\u2014will automatically work with Professor Nichols. A number of you may by assigned to Prof. Nichols but consult regularly with Prof. Key or Wingert.<\/p>\n Possible Independent Study Projects<\/strong><\/p>\n Independent Study is a broad, literature-based investigation involving synthesis of already published literature and write up based on your own thesis statement and careful textual research. Possible ideas might include:<\/p>\n Prof. Nichols:<\/strong><\/p>\n \u2013history of a museum (Smithsonian, Carnegie) or collection within a museum (animal halls, fossils, rocks and minerals)<\/p>\n \u2013critical biography of an author (Aldo Leopold, Annie Dillard)<\/p>\n \u2013history of several natural history books or a series of field guides (Peterson Series, National Geographic, Audubon)<\/p>\n \u2013essay about H. D. Thoreau (as a naturalist or a writer) or a more general biography<\/p>\n \u2013architectural and\/or historical study of the Joseph Priestley House 1794-1804<\/p>\n \u2013essay about John James Audubon: his life, his fieldwork, his artistry<\/p>\n Prof. Key:<\/strong><\/p>\n \u2013the role of mass extinction in the history of biodiversity<\/p>\n \u2013 was\u00a0T. rex<\/em>\u00a0a predator or a scavenger<\/p>\n \u2013 some aspect of the evolution of humans<\/p>\n \u2013 develop a new display on paleontology, evolution, or biodiversity (or a combination) for our new Kaufman museum<\/p>\n Possible Independent Research Projects:<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0Independent Research is a focused investigation involving actual specimens, data collection, data analysis, and write up. Possible ideas might include:<\/p>\n Prof. Key:<\/strong><\/p>\n \u2013 biology or ecology of estuarine animals (e.g., Chesapeake Bay blue crab)<\/p>\n \u2013 evolutionary or paleoecological process (e.g., relationship of shark tooth shape to ease of penetration or mammal stride length vs. speed<\/p>\n \u2013paleoenvironmental interpretation of clam fossil slab by modeling of clam shell behavior in a wave tank)<\/p>\n Prof. Wingert:<\/strong><\/p>\n \u2013 comparison of barn owl diet with long-eared owl<\/p>\n \u2013 nitrogen comparison of two streams: one stream in a deer impacted area and the other in a healthy forest<\/p>\n \u2013 egg counts in Gray tree frog females<\/p>\n \u2013 macro assessment of three streams: one in a residential area, the other in agricultural area, and a control stream in a forested environment<\/p>\n You will pick a topic that will be approved by the professors by Friday August 31 and fill out the necessary registration form for the Registrar. This class will have regularly scheduled meeting times\u20149:00 a.m. Wednesday, 1:30 p.m. Friday\u2013but it will only use that time for the first several weeks of class. Then you will be working largely on your own and with individual meetings with your assigned professor (seven with Professor Nichols, two each with Professors Key and Wingert). We may have borderline research\/study projects that will be shared between professors. We will keep these time slots open for individual meetings as the semester progresses.<\/p>\n August 29 9 a.m.\u00a0 What is an Independent Study or Research Project: How does it work?<\/p>\n 31\u00a0 1:30 p.m. Final decision and registration for your Independent Research\/Study course<\/p>\n September 5 9 a.m. First meeting to plan schedules for semester<\/p>\n 7\u00a0\u00a0 1:30 p.m. Individual meeting with professors<\/p>\n 12\u00a0 9 a.m. Individual meetings with professors<\/p>\n c. November 28 \u00a015 minute oral presentations<\/p>\n November 30 F \u00a0First draft of Independent Study\/Research project due<\/p>\n December 14 \u00a0F Final \u00a0version due<\/p>\n Let us know if you have questions.<\/p>\n * * * * * * * * * * * *\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Dickinson College makes reasonable academic accommodations for students with documented disabilities.\u00a0I am available to discuss the implementation of those accommodations.\u00a0\u00a0Students requesting accommodations must\u00a0first\u00a0register with Disability Services to verify their eligibility. After documentation review, Marni Jones, Director of Learning Skills and Disability Services, will provide eligible students with accommodation letters for their professors.\u00a0Students must obtain a new letter every semester and meet with each relevant professor prior to any accommodations being implemented.\u00a0 These meetings should occur during the first three weeks of the semester (except for unusual circumstances), and\u00a0at least\u00a0one week before any testing accommodations. Disability Services\u00a0is located in Biddle House. Address inquiries to Stephanie Anderberg at 717-245-1734\u00a0or email\u00a0<\/em>disabilityservices@dickinson.edu<\/em><\/a>.\u00a0For more information, see the Disability Servi<\/em>ceswebsite:\u00a0www.dickinson.edu\/disabilityservices<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u00a0* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Natural History Mosaic Independent Research\/Independent Study \u00a0Fall 2012 (A course in the Natural History Mosaic Program) Course Aims and Expectations: This credit\u2014the 4th\u00a0of your credits for the Natural History mosaic\u2014will allow you to deepen you […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":824,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/syllabus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/syllabus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/syllabus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/syllabus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/824"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/syllabus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/syllabus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/syllabus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/syllabus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/syllabus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}