Concept -check Quizzes
The concept-check quiz is your opportunity to determine if you have learned the essential concepts of each module. The electronic quiz will consist of up to 20 questions covering the material in the week's readings. It is important to complete the readings and the quiz before beginning the week's project since you will need to apply these concepts in the week's project. You will have 60 minutes to answer the 20 quiz questions.
You can access the week's quiz by clicking on the Concept-check Quiz on each week's page. You must complete all of the quiz questions at the same time. You can't do part now and part later.
The quiz must be completed by midnight on posted days. You may take the quiz any time during the week as long as you are finished before midnight on the posted day.
Discussion Web
The discussion web is the tool that is used to facilitate discussion between the class members. You must participate in each week's discussion to receive credit for this portion of the class.
Before you go to the discussion web read the week's discussion topic and prepare your response by completing the week's assigned readings, collecting additional information, formulating your thoughts, opinions, etc.
When you have completed your preparation, open the discussion web by clicking on a discussion link in the Backyard unit.
Begin by reading the contributions that have already been posted. You may comment on a message or add additional information to that topic by using the "Reply" link at the top of the message you want to comment on or add information to.
Use the "Post a new article" choice only if no one else has started a discussion (thread) on the topic you have prepared.
You are encouraged to use the Discussion Web to share information and/or resources that you discover with the other students in your class.
Your grade is based upon making contributions to the discussions. You are not expected to submit a little "essay" on the topic. Your contribution of new information or additional information to an existing topic enhances the discussion. Posting a single item that starts a new thread or adding one comment to an existing thread will receive an average grade. Actively participating in the discussion by posting two or more items will enhance your grade (and your learning).
You may add to the discussion web anytime during the week. Visit the discussion web frequently to share your thoughts with your classmates. Contributions made after the module's discussion web closes will not be included in your discussion grade.
You must have an active email account throughout this course. Email is the tool that is used to interact with the instructor and your classmates. Graded projects are returned to you via email.
Send an email to the course instructor via WebCT email.
The instructors are not responsible for emails that you do not receive due to technical problems with your system or for information contained in an email that you do not read in a timely manner.
Field Trip Locations
To help you find appropriate field trip locations in the greater Puget Sound region check our list of field trip sites.
Field Trip Reports
The course projects provide an opportunity to apply ecological and natural history principles to real-life situations. The week's project is due no later than midnight on posted days (see the Weekly Schedule for details).
Preparing Field Trip Reports
You can access the project guidelines from the Weekly Schedule pages.
Read the project guidelines carefully before beginning your research for the project. Choose your focus for your project, for example: the site for your field study (field trip)
Many projects require preparation research from at least your field guides and online lectures. You should spend time researching the animals, plants, and other organisms you expect to see at you field trip destination.
Completing Field Trip Reports
Review the Field Trip's Reporting Form and the Field Trip Report's Grading Grid before preparing your Field Trip Report. When you have completed your research, write your answers to the Field Trip Report's summary and/or questions. Proofread your answers for both grammar and spelling before transferring your answers to the Field Trip Report Form. Print a copy of your Field Trip Report and save the word processing document you used to prepare your project just in case there is a problem submitting your Field Trip Report.
Submitting Field Trip Reports
When you have completed your Field Trip Report Form, check it to be sure that you have included your name.
Grading Field Trip Reports
A copy of the Grading Grid that is used to evaluate your Field Trip Report is available for each Field Trip Report. This grid indicates how the points for the Field Trip Reports are distributed. The grid will help you determine the relative importance of each part of the Field Trip Report.
Late Quiz Policy
Quizzes must be completed by midnight on the specific posted due date. Quizzes received after the midnight deadline will not be accepted by the computer. The quiz score for a missed quiz will be recorded as a zero for that module. If you are ill or have some other extenuating circumstance notify the instructor via email before midnight to avoid losing the module's quiz points.
Late Field Trip Report Policy
Field Trip Reports must be completed by midnight on the specific posted due date. Reports received after the midnight deadline will not be accepted by the computer. The score for a missed report will be recorded as a zero for that module. If you are ill or have some other extenuating circumstance notify the instructor via email before midnight to avoid losing the module's report points.
Learning Experiences Chart
Each module will contain a Learning Experiences Chart (with an accompanying printable form) which will summarize all the requirements for the particular Ecosystem Module. You should print a copy of the Learning Experiences Chart to keep track of all the requirements and ensure that you have completed them all.
Online Writing Help
To help you create excellent field trip reports and essays, please visit the Loft's Online Tutoring website.
For each ecosystem module there will be a practium to test your knowledge of the species that are common for the ecosystem. The species that will be included on the practicum will come form the module's "species list" that can be found on the Learning Experiences Chart for that module.
The practicum will consist of 15-30 pictures shown one at a time. You will have one minute to type the name of the species or answer the question in the space provided. (Correct spelling is essential to get credit for your answers.) The species list is available to you so that you can study for the practicum. We STRONGLY suggest that you study the species on the list BEFORE you take the practicum.
Preparing Your Bibliography
Whenever you prepare a project or discussion web contribution using a source other than the course textbooks, you must credit the source. There are standard formats that must be used to cite sources. In this course the MLA bibliography formats are preferred. Sometimes a Bibliography is confused with a Works Cited Page (which has a slightly different format).
There are many possible sources of information for this class, including but not limited to books, magazines, pamphlets, newspaper articles, personal interviews, and television or radio programs. Review the bibliographic formats so that you will record all of the necessary information to cite your source before your return the book, turn off the television, etc.
If you are unfamiliar with the conventions used to cite sources consult the following web site: http://northonline.sccd.ctc.edu/ntrresources/biblioform.htm
If you have taken English 102, your English handbook will be another source of sample bibliographic formats.
Purchase your Field Books
Required Texts: |
Bugs of Washington and Oregon , by John Acorn and Ian Sheldon. Lone Pine Publishing. 1999 Guide to Oregon's Rocky Intertdal Zones National Audubon Society Field Guide to the Pacific Northwest by Peter Alden and Dennis Paulson. New York: Alfred ZA. Knopf. 1998 Natural Grace: The Charm, Wonder, & Lessons of Pacific Northwest Animals & Plants by William Dietrich. Seattle: University of Washington Press. 2003 Passionate Slugs and Hollywood Frogs , by Patricia Lichen. Sasquatch Books. Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast by Jim Pojar and Andy MacKinnon. Lone Pine Publishing. 1994 Stokes Field Guide to Birds, Western Region by Donald and Lillian Stokes. Boston: Little, Brown and Company. 1996 Whelks to Whales , by Rick Harbo. Harbour Pub. |
The course textbooks are available from the North Seattle Community College Bookstore. You can purchase the book in person at the campus bookstore or by calling (206) 526-3637.
Reading Assignments
Course readings include materials from the following sources:
The course field guides
Weekly online text and special topics written by Pete Lortz and Ellie Cauldwell
Web sites (see Educational Links)
Reading assignments are listed on the weekly topics page which can be accessed from the Course Schedule. There are reading assignments from the course texts every week but not all weeks have online text and/or special topics.
Weekly quiz questions will be taken from the week's readings in the course textbook and the week's online text and special topics. The recommended web sites will provide additional information related to the week's topics and the week's project. Not all weeks have online text and/or special topics.
Most of the projects in this course require that you do some research before you prepare your final draft of your project. Before your begin your research read the project instructions carefully and review the Project Report Form to determine the information that you will need to submit your finished project. You can prepare your project answers using word processing software and then cut and paste your answers into the Project Report Form. Using this technique allows you take advantage of word processing tools such as the spell-checker and the grammar-checker.
There are many sources that you can use to research your project topics including books, pamphlets, newspaper and magazine articles, web sites, and personal interviews. If you use any source other than your course books or online sources in this course web site then you must cite that source in your project bibliography . Check your project instructions to determine the minimum number of sources required for that project.
T ime Commitment
The student time commitment for a five credit science class is approximately fifteen (15) hours per week. An on campus course would have five hours of lecture and ten hours of home study. Since this class doesn't have an on campus component there is more required readings and research in an online course.
To successfully complete an online course, effective time management is essential. Schedule regular times to complete the course readings and concept-check quiz and to research, write and submit your projects. Students frequently underestimate the amount of time required to complete a project and then miss the midnight Sunday deadline due to lack of preplanning.
We will use WebCT for the concept quizzes, the practicums, and the discussion and email. In addition, you can use WebCT to check your grades for the quizzes and practicums.
You will need a username and a password for WebCT.
Your username will be your SID.
Your password is your SID.
Weekly Study Plan
The weekly Learning Experiences chart is designed to help you plan your study time. You may find it helpful to print the weekly Learning Experiences chart. You can mark off each task as you finish it to insure that you have finished all of the preparation necessary to successfully complete the week's assignments. Begin with the Module One Learning Experiences chart.
The Course Progress Chart will also help you record your progress in this course.