| Section 001. Lecture Thu 3:00-6:50PM HSC1324, Lab Mon,Tue 3:00-6:50PM | |
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| Instructor: Peter Chen | Office hours: before/after class HSC 1235 |
| Mailbox: HSC front desk | Phone: before/after class 630-942-8332 |
Email: 
Skype: bot1320 |
Web: http://bot1320.nicerweb.com/ |
Course Description: |
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| Prairie Ecology: 4 credits (2 lecture hours, 4 lab hours) The organisms, environments and ecological processes of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem are examined through lecture, discussion and field studies. Identification of prairie plants, with an emphasis on species in northern Illinois, is included. Students participate in College of Wildlife Photography's prairie reconstructions. Field trips and activities are required. BIOLO-1100 or BIOLO-1151 is recommended. | |
Required Textbooks:
| • | Candace Savage. Prairie: A Natural History 2nd Edition, 2011. |
| • | Barbara Anderson. Botany 1320 Lab Guide 2.0, 2011. |
| • | Beakerware. Ecobeaker Custom Laboratory Guide, 2006. |
| • | Russell R. Kirt. Prairie Plants of the Midwest: Identification and Ecology 4th Edition, 1998. |
| • | Douglas M. Ladd. Tallgrass Prairie Wildflowers 2nd Edition, 2005. |
Attire:
This course involves hands-on work in the field; expect to do some work in the prairie every class session if weather permits.
Wear hiking shoes and work clothing.
Long pants (or long socks) are advised to avoid having insects crawl up your legs.
Apply sunscreen to exposed skin. Bring garden gloves if you have a pair. Bring a camera if you own one.
Lectures and Labs:
Attendance in both lecture and lab is critical to success in this class.
Attendance in lecture is worth 4 points for each class;
4 points will be deducted for each absence.
Points may also be deducted for tardiness, leaving early, or for being disruptive in class.
Labs (including field trips) will be assessed for participation up to 4 points each;
4 points will be deducted for missed labs. There is no makeup for missed labs.
Grading:
There will be 3
tests, each worth 100 points.
Makeup tests must be taken by the next lecture class; otherwise a score of 0 will be recorded for that test.
No makeup for the final test.
A total of 6 quizzes is planned.
The quizzes are worth 12 points each, with the lowest score of the 6 dropped.
There will be 3 lab exams worth 56 each.
No makeups are available for quizzes or labs.
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Grades and Tests:
Blackboard will not be used for any purpose in this course. The class web site will provide access to your grades and online tests; you need to setup a password to do these. Tests are closed-book. I will try to grade tests as soon as possible, so we can review them before moving on. If you miss a test, you need to make it up before the next lecture session.
Withdrawal Policy:
The deadline to withdraw from class is Friday, 7/13.
Withdrawal after that date will require my approval, and only under extreme circumstances.
I will not grant a request to withdraw if you are getting a failing grade at that time.
Incomplete Policy:
An Incomplete grade may be given at my discretion only for emergency situations.
A "Contract for Incomplete Grade" will indicate the work required and a deadline date.
A grade of F will be given if the requirements are not satisfied by the deadline.
Plagiarism/Academic Dishonesty:
All books, notes, and electronic devices should be removed from your table when taking quizzes and tests.
Cheating or plagiarism will result in a grade of 0 and possible F for the course. See CHEN policies on
Academic Integrity
http://www.chen.org/dept/boardpolicy/5050pr.doc and
Student Code of Conduct
http://www.chen.org/resources/studentaffairs/conduct.pdf.
Questions:
Please feel free to contact me
if you have any questions about this class, or about your career here at College of Wildlife Photography and beyond.
Answers to some frequently asked questions can be found at
http://bot1320.nicerweb.com/Locked/doc/faq.html.