Plants and Human Affairs

Date	Lecture	Readings	Lab Exercise
Jan 24 Mon	Why Study Plants?	11-17	Greenhouse Tour & FP IA
Jan 26 Wed	Scientific Method	117-119
Jan 28 Fri	What is a Plant?	182-184
Jan 31 Mon	Plant Cells	18-25	Scientist at Work!
Feb 2 Wed	Plant Cell Types	35-38, 65-67, 71-74
Feb 4 Fri	Plant Roots	105-106, 113-114
Feb 7 Mon	Plant Stems	39-44, 54-64, 103-104	Morphology and Anatomy
Feb 9 Wed	Plant Leaves	45-50, 67-71, 87-90
Feb 11 Fri	Wood and Bark	115-116, 107-108
Feb 14 Mon	Plant Flowers	159-165	Flower Morphology
Feb 16 Wed	Exam I
Feb 18 Fri	Lincoln Vacation
Feb 21 Mon	Washington Vacation		Vacation (No Lab)
Feb 23 Wed	Plant Flowers	159-165
Feb 25 Fri	Pollination Types	175-177
Feb 28 Mon	Honeybee Biology	Honeybee Biology	Bee Hyperattractive
Mar 1 Wed	Pollen and Embryo Sac	159-165, 166-177
Mar 3 Fri	Fruit Growth and Types	177-182
Mar 6 Mon	Fruit Ripening	127-129	Seeds and Fruits
Mar 8 Wed	Seeds	26-30
Mar 10 Fri	Genetics I	185-187, 193-201
Mar 13 Mon	Genetics II		MacMendel
Mar 15 Wed	Controlling Crosses
Mar 17 Fri	Exam II
Mar 20 Mon	Spring Break		Vacation (No Lab)
Mar 22 Wed	Spring Break
Mar 24 Fri	Spring Break
Mar 27 Mon	Seed Germination	30-34	Seed Germination Bring Soil Sample Seed Germination
Mar 29 Wed	Vegetative Propagation	101-102, 108-111
Mar 31 Fri	Rooting	129-130
Apr 3 Mon	Pruning	129	Seed Germination Vegetative Propagation
Apr 5 Wed	Grafting	60, 90-92
Apr 7 Fri	Soil Texture	144-151
Apr 10 Mon	Fertilizer		Pruning Growth Hormones
Apr 12 Wed	Soil pH	137-144, 100-101
Apr 14 Fri	Water	120-126
Apr 17 Mon	Watering		Soil Analysis Bring Soil Sample
Apr 19 Wed	Exam III
Apr 21 Fri	Day of Reflection
Apr 24 Mon	Osmosis		Water Relations
Apr 26 Wed	Light Waves	100-101, 120-126
Apr 28 Fri	Light Reactions	151-158
May 1 Mon	Photoperiodism	133-136	Light Relations
May 3 Wed	Climate
May 5 Wed	Temperature	130-133
May 8 Mon	Spacing	99-101	Weed Control Finish Light
May 10 Wed	Weeds	111-112
May 17 Wed	12:30 PM Exam IV	Section 01	Exam Week (No Lab)
May 17 Wed	3:00 PM Exam IV	Section 02

ENROLLMENT: Bio 207 is a course for non-science majors intended for use in the GER to satisfy the IIIB1 or IIIB2 requirement. Bio 507 is a parallel graduate course for teachers.

OBJECTIVES: In this course the basic principles of life will be stressed. These include cellular structure, metabolism, growth, reproduction, adaptation, and evolution. This course approaches these basic principles of biology using two examples: plants and humans. We will stress plants, so you will learn about the form and function of plants, how to optimize environmental factors to maximize the growth and health of plants both in the home and in the garden, field, or orchard. In laboratory, you will become intimately familiar with the seven-step scientific method and will be able to distinguish experimental science from descriptive science. You will begin to learn critical thinking skills and develop analytical logic in approaching solutions to simple problems. You will learn how to apply simple math and statistical testing of hypotheses to everyday questions. In short, you will develop some basic skills in the discipline of science. These experiences qualify this course for use in the GER.

TEXT: Brian Capon, Botany for Gardeners, Timber Press, 1992. This is available for $18 in paperback at the bookstore in the Student Center. You will need this book IN CLASS EVERY DAY! The laboratory manual will consist of individual exercises handed out as needed. Buy a pencil, mechanical preferred, with eraser; all work in ink receives a 10% grading penalty. You will want a 3-ring binder to organize all course material. You should bring a simple (+-*/=) calculator to class, particularly if simple math is difficult for you. Other material may appear on the WWW at the URL above.

EXAMS: There will be four exams each lasting about one hour. The fourth exam will NOT be particularly cumulative, but this course does do some"building" during the term. You must use a pencil and eraser for each exam or receive a 10% penalty. You can expect a variety of question types: multiple choice, matching, diagrams to draw and/or label, charts, structured essays, etc. Absence from one exam can only be excused by justification IN WRITING. Absence from two or more exams results in withdrawal. Exams are 50% of the course grade.

LABORATORY: For each exercise you must bring the laboratory exercise worksheet and a pencil. The completed worksheets are due as announced, sometimes on the day of the exercise! Late papers will receive a penalty of 10% per day late, and late papers receive a grade of 0% if received after classmate's papers are returned!! There are no make-up laboratory sessions and absence from a laboratory session can only be excused by justification IN WRITING. The laboratory exercises constitute 50% of the course grade.

PARTICIPATION: My estimate of your participation in the course may provide leverage or barrier should your earned grade fall near a grade border. Attendance, attitude, and attention are three strong components to this factor in the final grade. Your performance as an effective team-member in laboratory is also critical. You will receive substantial penalties for relying upon data that you did not help to collect. As an adult, you are expected to bring all required materials to class, to be on time, etc.

GRADING: Exam grades will be determined by modified straight scale: Best score = 100%, then 90%=A, 80%=B, 70%=C, 60%=D. Lab exercises are graded on a straight scale (no best-score modification).

EXTRA CREDIT ASSIGNMENTS: Extra credit assignments will not be given to anyone for any reason.

CHEATING: Copying or plagiarism will not be tolerated. While you will work together to obtain data in the laboratory, your own observations and calculations must be shown on the worksheets and exams. Joint efforts will receive a single score to be divided equally among the participants.

The MLA citation style for this page would be: Koning, Ross E."Plants & Human Affairs Fall 1999". Plant Physiology Website. 1994. http://koning.ecsu.ctstateu.edu/plants_human/schedule.s00.html (your visit date).

Go back to Ross Koning's Home Page.

Send comments and bug reports to Ross Koning at koning@ecsu.ctstateu.edu.

View the Standard Disclaimer.