Emphasis is given to plant and animal groups that students are able to observe in the field. Topics include animal behavior, animal and plant taxonomy, animal and plant phylogeny, biogeography, biological and environmental conservation, and an exploration into the natural history of many local plants and animals. An appreciable amount of time is dedicated to field work. None Plants and People is a laboratory botany course that explores plants and fungi and their impact upon people. Students will also investigate the species concept in plants, plant extinction, its consequences, and the use of plants by humans in the future.
Field trips are an integral part of the course.
Readings, discussions, presentations, and research papers will help the student place the science into the context of the society that developed it, focusing on topics ranging from the ethical employment of biotechnology to fictional and historical explorations of science and technology. This course will count as two academic courses towards the minimum five academic classes required each semester. Office approval Independent projects or research which enable juniors to investigate an approved science topic of their choice under the sponsorship of a faculty advisor. The project must be designed and appropriate approval granted before the beginning of the project term. The process of this project is as important as the product.