INSTRUCTOR: Jim Sniezek, Ph.D.

CONTACT:  james.sniezek@montgomerycollege.edu

OFFICE HOURS: You can reach me via e-mail with questions and/or arrange to meet me in a chat room at a predetermined time.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

The Student will be introduced to a variety of biological, chemical and physical concepts pertaining to the study of living organisms in and around the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. The Student should develop a basic understanding of the delicate yet intricate processes necessary for maintenance and proliferation of animals and plants that utilize the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem. The Student should be able to apply information provided by this course to everyday situations involving the health, utilization, and ecology of Chesapeake Bay.

ONLINE MODULES

I have designed modules to be completed according to the schedule outlined in the calendar. Each module presents that module’s goals, relevant Internet/text readings, glossary terms and Internet links to key course concepts.  The material in these links provides key concepts in alternative visual formats, which can enhance your understanding of the course content.  You will have to complete 1 to 2 assignments per Unit (see ASSIGNMENTS section below). You will have approximately a week to complete the modules, as indicated in the course calendar. Refer to the course calendar for specific due dates.

TEXT

There is NO REQUIRED TEXT for this course. You may want to purchaseas supplemental reading the following:

Chesapeake Bay: A Field Guide, Christopher White (ISBN 0-80733-351-8) and
Life in the Chesapeake Bay, 2^nd edition, Lippson & Lippson (ISBN 0-8018-5475-X).

These textbooks provide a general overview of the ecology of the Chesapeake Watershed and may help you to develop a strong basic working knowledge of the ecological issues and wildlife associated with the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.

ASSIGNMENTS

Always refer to the calendar for availability and due dates. No late assignments will be accepted. Italics below indicate WebCT links or pages.

Exams: 198 Total Points

There will be two exams, a midterm and a non-comprehensive final. Each is worth 99 points. These exams will be open book, but you are not allowed to discuss or interact with another student or person when taking the exams or answering the questions. Exams are accessed through the Assessments link.

Written Thought Assignments and Plagiarism Quiz: 160 Total Points

You will need to check the Assignment Space for each written assignment. You will be asked to provide a written answer to one or more questions related to the material in each module. Assignment due dates are indicated in the Assignment Space. Generally, your answers should be no more than two pages in length but complete, and, unless the question(s) directs you otherwise, should include a discussion of the background, current status and/or future research of the question, AND your own thoughts regarding the problem.  You will need to research your answer using either Internet or textbook resources and cite at least 2 references following your discussion (lack of citations will result in loss of points). All answers should be in your own words and summarize the cited sources.  Cut and Paste answers constitute plagiarism and will result in zero points for the assignment. If the plagiarism persists, an “F” in the course may be awarded.  Please post your assignment using the drop box in the following .rtf format with your LAST NAME INDICATED IN THE FILENAME (i.e., Smith_Mod1.rtf). Written assignments are worth 10-40 points.

Plagiarism is a serious offense often resulting from naivety or a lack of understanding about the seriousness of the offense.  Four-year institutions dismiss students for plagiarism.  In the corporate world, passing off someone else’s material as your own can get you fired! In this course you will take a plagiarism tutorial offered by the Montgomery College Library.  Please review this site on avoiding plagiarism. At the end of the tutorial is a quiz on plagiarism.  You need to score 100% on the quiz to receive the 10 points for the assignment.  See the assignment section for specifics.

BIG Group Project: 60 Total Points

As part of your learning experience you will design a presentation to present to the BIG Conference (Bay Interest Groups).  Your presentation will concern material relevant to future Chesapeake Bay usage.  More information about this project will be forthcoming.  This will be a group project and will be due near the end of the course. You will be assigned to a group by approximately midway through the course – group memberships will be posted as an Announcement. You will find labeled spaces for working on your group project with other group members in the Discussion space. Projects and project/participant evaluations need to be uploaded into the special “group project” space located in the Discussion area.  The Group Project is worth 60 points, 40pts for presentation and 20 pts for group participation.

To complete this assignment, you will be assigned to evaluate/ review the other groups’ presentations. Instructions for the review process will be posted but your review will include a constructive critique of the assessed group projects. Included in your review, you must 1) state positive comments, and 2) state constructive criticisms that you think would improve the project. You should also supply relevant sources supporting your comments.

Field Experience: 40 points

Reading about the watershed is very different from experiencing the watershed.  Each student is expected to independently experience the Chesapeake Bay in a way meaningful to him or her. Experiential trips must be submitted for approval prior to completion and will be due as outlined in the Calender. A one to two page write-up of the experience will be required for credit.

Introductory Post: 2 Total Points

Follow the instructions outlined in the orientation section of the Syllabus page (below) with regards to posting an introduction.  You will receive 2 points for your introductory post.

LECTURE TOPICS AND EXAM SCHEDULE

The following is a list of the topics for the course and the order we will be covering them in:

UNITS

UNIT 1 Origin of the Chesapeake Bay

Module 1 Overview of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed

Module 2 Formation of the Chesapeake Bay

Unit 2 Terrestrial landscape

Module 3 Soil

Module 4 Climax Forests

Unit 3 Chesapeake Bay Biota

Module 5 Transition zones and aquatic plants

Module 6 Plankton

Module 7 Gelatinous Zooplankton

Module 8 Oysters

(MIDTERM EXAM)

Module 9 Crabs

Module 10 Finfish

Module 11 Birds

Module 12 Mammals

Unit 4 Bay Ecology and usage

Module 13 Ecological Principles

Module 14 Threats to the Bay

Module 15 Putting It All Together

(FINAL EXAM)

Late Policy

No late assignments will be accepted. If you know that you will be out of town at a time when an assignment is due, please contact me ahead of time and we will make accommodations.  Failing to contact me ahead of schedule will result in an automatic 0 for that assignment.

Anytime you submit an assignment thru the Assignment drop box, you should receive an email confirmation indicating that your assignment has been submitted.  If you do not receive this email, then you should assume that your submission was not received by the system, and you will receive a grade of 0 points for your missing assignment.  If you do not receive a confirmation email, try to submit again, AND email your assignment to me via the internal course e-mail and my external e-mail given above. 

Grading Policy

Please be sure to keep track of your points and to contact me via email at james.sniezek@montgomerycollege.edu if points that you earned do not appear under your “My Grades” link after 2 weeks. 

Midterm grades will be assigned according to the following:

               A                90-100 % 140-156 points

               B                80-89 %                      125-139 points

               C               70-79%                       109-124 points

               D               60-69%                       94-108 points

   F               less than 60% 93 and fewer points

Final grades will be assigned according to the following:

               A                90-100 %     414-460 points

               B                80-89 %                   368-413 points

               C               70-79%                       322-367 points

               D               60-69%                       276-321 points

   F               less than 60% 275 and fewer points

You can view my comments on your submissions submitted thru the Assignments link by returning to the assignment in the Assignments link, and clicking “graded.” 

Orientation to BI109: Natural Science of Chesapeake Bay

Before beginning our course, please read thru this page carefully and refer back to it as necessary. This page provides:

1. Helpful links and information designed to introduce you to WebCT, and
2. A description of the course layout, and
3. Instructions for completing a brief Introduction assignment (2 pts)
4. Instructions for completing your Research Paper and Avoiding Plagiarism

The purpose of this page is to supplement the information provided in the syllabus, define my expectations of your work, and hopefully answer FAQs.  Welcome, and I hope you have a positive learning experience!

Introduction to WebCT

For those of you using WebCT for the first time, it may be helpful to take this Distance Learning Orientation to assess your readiness to take classes at-a-distance. Please visit this WebCT tutorial, which demonstrates the basic skills necessary to successfully use WebCT.  At this site, be sure to view the following tutorials on Reading and Posting Messages in the WebCT discussion area. There may be some differences between the version of WebCT used in this course and the version described in the online tutorial but these differences are minor. You may also want to view tips for success in online courses.

For WebCT to work properly with your computer, you must ensure that your browser is properly configured to work with WebCT. Click here and follow the steps. If you need assistance, contact the WebCT Help Desk at 888-691-5059 or http://lt.collegis.com. Usage of online materials may require viewing PDF files via Adobe Acrobat.

WEBCT HELP

If you need help, you can click on the HELP link in the red bar at the top of the screen to find an answer in the WebCT Help Index. Or, the WebCt Help Desk is available to all registered students. Click Help Desk to learn about hours and anticipated response times. Help is also available by phone at 888-691-5059 or online at http://lt.collegis.com.

Contacting the Instructor/Office Hours:

If you think you have a question or comment that may be of general interest to the class, please post it using the Discussion tool into the appropriate module.  I will check the discussion tool frequently, and respond to your questions there for the class to view.  I do not have a set "office hour" but will answer questions submitted via course e-mail promptly. My email address is available through the internal course e-mail or you may e-mail me outside the course at james.sniezek@montgomerycollege.edu. If necessary, we can arrange a time to communicate using the real time chat rooms provided with WebCT. If you contact me with a comment concerning a link, please include the module number and the link’s address (URL).

COURSE CONTENT

This course consists of “Modules,” which are all available. Feel free to work ahead of the schedule outlined in the Calendar. Each module consists of: Goals, Text Readings, links to Internet sites, and popup-type pages that define unfamiliar terminology. Each module requires you to complete an assignment worth 10-40 points. Each student also will participate in and evaluate a Group Project (60 pts), and take a midterm and a final exam (both open book and multiple choice/FITB, 99 pts each). Each student is also required to take a “field trip” to an approved Chesapeake Bay site to experience the Bay firsthand (40 pts). Assignment and Exam availability and closing dates are posted on the Calendar also available at the Assignment and Assessment links.

PLEase check the course calendar for the course schedule and ALL due dates.  I suggest that you stay on top of your assignments.  The semester goes by quickly. Don’t wait until the last minute to do the assignments and fieldtrip. 

Importance of the Textbook: The textbooks serve to supplement module readings. Purchase of the textbooks is NOT required and but, if purchased, you will likely continue to use them after the course is finished as ecological references.

Using the Internet Components of the Modules:  I have designed the Internet component of each module to be the foundation of the course, by choosing sites that present important ecological concepts or that discuss the ecology, management, and research of Chesapeake Bay issues.   Please review each link thoroughly, unless directed to a specific location on the website.  The sites listed under the Sites for Further Information Section of each module are for your interest only, and are not a testable part of the course.  If you find a new link that you think is useful, or might be an improvement, for our class, please post it in the Discussion Section: Websites to share.  Also, if one of the links has been removed, please contact me via e-mail and I will fix it promptly.

Assignments:  Please post all assignments as .rtf files only. An .rtf file is a file saved in "Rich Text Format". Most word processing programs have this option as a "save as" feature. Assignments must be posted by the due date time posted on the assignment link (generally10:00pm the day they are due); late assignments will not be accepted.  End-of-module assignments are designed to be thought questions that will often require some further research on your part. Each assignment file should be titled with LAST NAME INDICATED IN THE FILENAME (i.e., Smith_Mod1.rtf).

Posting an Introductory Email:  Because we will be working together, I would like you to post a message by clicking the Communication: Discussion: Introduction space and place your introduction into the Introduction thread by 3 DAYS AFTER CLASS BEGINS.  In your posting, please identify yourself, your career ambitions, whether you are a freshman, sophomore etc., and INCLUDE your email address.  Your completed introductory post is worth 2 points.

How to answer a assignment question (thought question)

Assignment questions are designed to extend and apply your understanding of module content to management questions. Many assignment questions do not have one correct answer but may have a range of appropriate responses. Completeness and the referencing of sources are critical in writing responses to the assignment questions.

For your assignments, you must use a minimum of two publications as references. There are different types of publications: Primary and secondary source publications.

What is a primary source publication? A primary source publication is an authored publication found in a peer-reviewed journal, such as Estuaries or the Journal of Marine Biology. In these journals, an author submits a paper to the journal but it is not published until it is reviewed by several of the author’s peers. Only if they conclude that the methods used and the conclusions drawn by the author are sound, then the paper is published.

What is a secondary source publication? A secondary source publication is a one that summarizes the content of a primary source publication. Review publications, which are papers where the author summarizes other scientists’ work on a particular topic, are appropriate to use as sources as are certain websites from credible scientific agencies or organizations (government sites, mainstream environmental groups, ect.). No Internet references designed for the non-scientific public (such as about.com, CNN.com, or encardia.com) are appropriate.

If you use papers as references that you find in subscription-only sites, you are required to email the papers as an attachment to me. You may wish to contact an MC Librarian for assistance and/or use the MC Library electronic database to find high quality sources. From the MC homepage, click on the Libraries link or click here

In this class you are writing a scientific response to the assignment question. A scientific response may be different from other types of writing you have been exposed to or have written. Your research paper must include citations located within the text. What is a citation? This means that if you use an idea from another source, you must “cite” that source’s name and year of its publication in parentheses following the sentence. Therefore, a citation is when you give credit to your source for the idea(s) in your sentence or paragraph. As an hypothetical example, if you read a paper on crab reproduction by Smith that was published in 2003, and then use his statistics in your research paper, you could write “Crabs in sponge are twice as likely to be consumed by Croaker than immature crabs (Smith, 2003).” Note, the author is NOT included in the sentence, but only in the proper citation following the sentence. An example of an improperly cited sentence would be: “In 2003, a researcher named Smith found that crabs in sponge are twice as likely to be eaten by Croaker than immature crabs.”

The Montgomery College libraries have designed online tutorials and guidelines to assist with the “technical” aspects of writing a scientific paper, such as how to cite references.. To access this information, take the following link: http://www.montgomerycollege.edu/library/formhand_student.html.

What is Plagiarism?

Plagiarism is a serious ethical violation that occurs when you copy exact words from your references without paraphrasing or re-writing the idea in your own words. Honesty and reliability are paramount. All students are expected to achieve their academic goals honestly. Montgomery College and your instructor are committed to imposing appropriate sanctions for breaches of academic honesty. All written materials submitted in this class MUST be written in your own words. You MAY NOT copy and paste text from Internet sources, even if you properly quote the material and identify the source. Plagiarism is not tolerated and your assignments will be checked for plagiarism. Students who engage in any act adjudged by the classroom instructor to constitute academic dishonesty or misconduct are subject to any and all sanctions deemed appropriate by the classroom instructor. Grade sanctions may range from an "F" on the assignment in which the dishonesty occurred to the maximum sanction of an "F" in the course. The instructor also has the prerogative of referring a case to the campus Dean of Student Development with the specific request that the Dean consider imposing additional sanctions.

The Montgomery College libraries have also developed an online tutorial on avoiding plagiarism available at: http://www.montgomerycollege.edu/library/plagiarismintro.htm.

You are required to participate in this tutorial and submit the electronic quiz at the end (10 pts). When taking the summary quiz, you will will need to provide your name, course, instructor, and instructor's e-mail address. You will be given credit for the quiz when a score of 100% is attained. Check the Calendar for the quiz completion date.