THE HISTORY OF LIFE   

GLY 1101, Summer B, 2018

Tu/Th 10:50-2:10,  June 19 - July 26, PC 212

SYLLABUS 

 Course Objectives – Life was not always as it is today with humans, green landscapes and flowers, and warm and cold seas full of bony fish. This course provides an understanding of the interacting biological, geological, and environmental principles and processes that have shaped life.

Course Description – Basic biological and geological principles of evolution, ecology, plate tectonics and stratigraphy are applied to understanding life through time and the processes that brought about biotic change. We review the evolutionary history of major groups of organisms as seen in the fossil record, including the origins of animals and plants, and major events such as the origin of Earth and life, the marine invasion of land, mass extinctions, and the Ice Age.

In the first third of the course we cover general principles such as evolution, geologic time and continental drift, that are a prerequisite for understanding the remainder of the course. In the second third, we focus on the record of marine life from its earliest forms to the world’s largest extinctions. The last part concerns the origin and history of life on land.

Learning Outcome – An understanding of the interaction of the biological, environmental and geological processes that have shaped life.

 COURSE SCHEDULE*

Exam times: Students who wish to observe their religious holidays should make these requests at the beginning of the term to be accomodated.

Questions from previous THOL exams. We will work on the answers during class Discussion times. 

Class format – Classes (except for exam days) consist of two lectures, each followed by a discussion. There is a 15-minute break near the middle of the class period.

Recommended Reference Book – The textbook includes material not covered in the lectures, so use the textbook only as a reference for lecture topics. Textbook: Ausich, William I., and Lane, N. Gary, 1999, Life of the Past: Prentice Hall, 4^thed. FIU Bookstore: $60 used rental, $86 new rental, $95 purchased used, $127 purchased new. Amazon offers copies as cheap as $12. If you do not take good notes in class or think you will miss classes, you should probably buy the book.

Instructor – Professor Laurel Collins, Department of Earth and Environment, and Department of Biological Sciences. Email collinsl@fiu.edu (preferred), telephone 305-348-1732. Office hours in PC 435 are 9:30-10:50 TR, after class, and by appointment.

Course Policies – Pop quizzes and exams are based on the lectures, which include some content not covered in the textbook. 

You are expected to arrive to class before the class begins, and to stay for each entire lecture or discussion. If you must leave the classroom for an emergency, do not return during a lecture because it disturbs everyone.

The use of cell phones in class is prohibited, and they must be silenced.  A students who does not follow these rules will first be warned, and the second time be asked to leave. 

You are expected to maintain high standards of academic honesty. Any student found in violation of these standards will earn an automatic F and be reported to the Department of Student Misconduct and Grievances, no exceptions made. In accordance with FIU's policy (https://fiu.instructure.com/courses/14278/pages/academic-misconduct-statement), it is expected that students will neither submit the academic work of another as their own, nor provide work they have done for another student to be submitted as that other student's work.

Attendance – Attendance is not required, but it is the only way to receive the full course content and take extra-credit pop quizzes. Lecture slides available online only illustrate principles and do not include verbal content.

Best Way to Study – Your grade depends on how well you learn the material covered by the lectures. Study aids: lecture slides and outlines, downloadable with links in the syllabus; questions from previous THOL exams that are discussed in class. Outlines can be used as a guide to: 1) follow the lecture in class, 2) take notes in class, and 3) identify the main topics when studying for exams.

Exams:  Exam times only change if classes are canceled. The exam format is multiple choice. Each exam is worth 1/3 of your baseline grade (excluding extra-credit pop quizzes) and covers the material since the last exam.

Quizzes:  Pop quizzes are optional and for extra credit. They are given at any time during class and are based on past and ongoing lectures. You can earn up to 20 extra-credit points that are added to the total exam points to determine your final score. There are no makeup quizzes.   

Makeup Exams:  If you are scheduled to be away from the classroom on an exam date, you should not take this course. Makeup exams are short-essay format and will be given only if you have valid, documentable proof justifying your absence, such as a doctor’s note verifying an illness or a police report for a car accident. Out-of-town trips do not merit makeup exams. If you qualify for a makeup exam, contact Dr. Collins as soon as possible after missing it.

Grades – Exams and pop quizzes determine your final grade, based on a total of 300 exam points. Final grades are based on standard percentages of correct answers and total points for the term:  

*The professor reserves the right to change or modify the syllabus at any time during the semester.