FIRST-DAY ASSIGNMENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR DR. SHELLHAMMER'S BIOLOGY CLASSES - SPRING SEMESTER 1997

Please note that I will not be at school on Wed. Jan. 8 and Thurs. Jan 9, 1997. If your class and / or lab meets during either of those two days, work on your first-day assignment during your regular class and / or lab period. Do not go to the lab or classroom on that day.

Botany
Ecology
Vertebrate Zoology

Botany first-day assignment, Spring 1997:

1. Obtain the syllabus for this course off of the internet at the following address: http://www.ossm.edu/biology/botsyla2.htm

2. Read Chapter 10 and devise a scheme for classifying any two plants of your choice according the system established by Carolus Linnaeus. Be sure to properly present each general taxon name and each technical name for that taxon correctly. Additionally, prepare a simple dichotomous key that will distinguish between the two species of plants you have selected. Your key must have at least five couplets. You may need to do some library work, so the necessary books will be on reserve; ask Ms. Duffy if you need assistance in finding the available books.

3. Choose five different species of plants, each one from a different taxonomic family, and begin working on a lab presentation describing and illustrating each plant. Some of the important details that are required for your presentation include:

common and scientific name of each plant species
common and technical family name of each plant
ecological information such as typical habitat, distribution, importance to man, animals, and / or other plants

4. Cover your text book and bring it to your first lab session next week.

You will be asked to discuss the status of your work at our first lab session next week.

Also note that there will be a quiz over Chapter 10 at the beginning of our first lab session as well.

Ecology first-day assignment, Spring, 1997:

1. Obtain the syllabus for this course off of the internet at the following address: http://www.ossm.edu/biology/ecosylla.htm

2. Read Chapter 1 and discuss in a few well-thought-out sentences the ecological significance of each of the following topics according to the information given in this chapter.

Interactions between organisms and their environment.
The concept of "individual".
The environment.
Survival.

3. Read Chapter 2 and describe in words and mathematically how water flows through a plant. Be sure to define the terms, variables, and constants used in your mathematical description. NOTE: there will be a quiz over Chapters 1 and 2 at the beginning of our first lab session next week and you will also be asked to discuss the above topics regarding both chapters.

4. Cover your text book and bring it to your first lab session next week.

Vertebrate Zoology first-day assignment, Spring, 1997:

1. Obtain the syllabus for this course off of the internet at the following address: http://www.ossm.edu/biology/vertzosy.htm

2. Read Chapters 6 and 11 and then answer the review questions at the end of each chapter.

3. Be prepared for a quiz over this material at the beginning of our first lab session next week.

4. Choose five different species of vertebrate animals, each one from a different taxonomic class, and begin working on a lab presentation describing and illustrating each animal. Some of the important details that are required for your presentation include:

common and scientific name of each animal species
common and technical class name of each animal
ecological information such as typical habitat, distribution, importance to man, plants, and / or other animals

You may need to do some library work, so the necessary books will be on reserve; ask Ms. Duffy if you need assistance in obtaining these books.

5. Cover your text book and bring it to your first lab session next week.

You will be asked to discuss the status of your work at our first lab session next week.

Also note that there will be a quiz over Chapters 6 and 11 at the beginning of our first lab session as well.